Also by Bill Holmes:

.50 Caliber Rifle Construction Manual: With Easy-to-Follow Full-Scale Drawings

Home Workshop .50 Caliber Sniper Rifle (video)
Home Workshop Guns for Defense and Resistance, Vol. I: The Submachine Gun
Home Workshop Guns for Defense and Resistance, Vol. II: The Handgun
Home Workshop Guns for Defense and Resistance, Vol. Ill: The .22 Machine Pistol
Home Workshop Guns for Defense and Resistance, Vol. IV: The 9mm Machine Pistol
Home Workshop Guns for Defense and Resistance, Vol. V: The AR-15/M16
Home Workshop Prototype Firearms: How to Design, Build, and Sell Your Own Small Arms
Home Workshop Weaponry: A Video Guide to Building Your Own Guns (video)

I respectfully dedicate this book to the following persons and

organizations whose help gave me comfort and encouragement
during the long period I spent writing it:
Anheuser-Busch, Seagrams, Post Wineries, Mom's Place,
Debra Willis, the Honorable Wayne P. Morris,
and Sen. George Crawford. Thanks again.

A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

by Bill Holmes

Copyright © 2003 by Bill Holmes

ISBN 13:978-1-58160-420-7
Printed in the United States of America

Published by Paladin Press, a division of

Paladin Enterprises, Inc.
Gunbarrel Tech Center
7077 Winchester Circle
Boulder, Colorado 80301 USA
+1.303.443.7250

Direct inquiries and/or orders to the above address.

scanned by Glas

All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, no

portion of this book may be reproduced in any form
without the express written permission of the publisher.

Neither the author nor the publisher assumes

any responsibility for the use or misuse of
information contained in this book.

Visit our Web site at www.paladin-press.com

 TABLE OF

Contents

Introduction 1
Chapter 1: Tools and Equipment 7
Chapter 2: Materials 13
Chapter 3: Design 17
Chapter 4: Receiver Manufacture 21
Chapter 5: Bolt Manufacture 31
Chapter 6: Trigger Assemblies 41
Chapter 7: Safeties 47
Chapter 8: Bolt Stop and Ejector 55
Chapter 9: Magazines, Trigger Guards, and Floorplates . . .59
Chapter 10: Modification of Existing Actions 75
Chapter 11: Barrel Fitting, Chambering, and Shaping 83
Chapter 12: Iron Sights and Quarter Ribs 95
Chapter 13: Muzzle Brakes 101
Chapter 14: Stocks 105
Chapter 15: Checkering 115
Chapter 16: Buttplates 133
Chapter 17: Heat Treatment 141
Chapter 18: Finishing and Coloring 143
Chapter 19: Adjusting and Test-Firing 147
Warning

Although at the time this book was published, it was perfectly legal for an
individual to manufacture a firearm for personal
use, experimental purposes, or research and
development, the laws may have changed since
then. It is the reader's obligation to carefully
research all pertinent laws before attempting any
construction.
Technical data presented here, particularly
data on the construction, use, adjustment, and
alteration of firearms, inevitably reflect the
author's individual beliefs and experiences with
particular firearms, equipment, and components
under specific circumstances that the reader
cannot duplicate exactly. Therefore, be advised
that since neither the publisher of this book nor
I have any control over the materials or
workmanship used in the manufacture of this
firearm by others, we can assume no
responsibility whatever for the safety or
reliability of such. Build it at your own risk. The
information presented here is for academic
study only.

IV

Around 50 years ago a top
This .416 Rigby on a P14 Enfield action has a Bastogne
walnut stock, a drop magazine with hinged floorplate, a
eoek on the opening bolt with a new handle, new trigger
and safety, quarter rib, and muzzle brake.
Introduction
gunsmith by the name of Roy Dunlap wrote a first-
class book titled Gunsmithing. Since then that
book has been the standard text for most
beginning gunsmiths, with a number of
experienced ones learning from it as well.
I got my first copy of the book in 1950, if I
remember correctly. And, although I was already
doing most of what was covered in the book, I
learned ways to improve the quality of my work.
Over the years I have owned at least a dozen
copies of that book. Somehow I always wound up
loaning them out, and as usually happens with
loaned articles, I didn't get them back.
In the time since that book was written, many
innovations and modifications have become
desirable when building a custom rifle. While some
of these modifications have been described in gun
magazines, most are never mentioned. The purpose
of this book is to show how to manufacture or
modify a custom-made bolt-action rifle.
There are many who call themselves
"gunmakers," but very few have actually made a
gun. Most buy parts wherever available and
simply assemble them, usually threading and
chambering commercial barrel blanks and
fitting them to existing actions. They then
"make" stocks by fitting a machine-inletted and
-shaped stock. Although this sometimes results
in a fine rifle, it hardly qualifies someone to call
himself a gunmaker.
1
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
Likewise, the mechanic who obtains a
military action, forges the bolt handle lower to
permit the use of a scope, puts on a commercial
trigger and safety, fits a preturned barrel and
machine-made stock, and convinces himself
that he has built a "custom" rifle is only kidding
himself. The only thing custom-made about
such a gun might possibly be in the choice of
recoil pad or buttplate.
If what I have written here sounds somewhat
arrogant, I'm sorry. However I would point out
that over the past 50 years I have built, in their
entirety, numerous rifles, shotguns, and pistols.
The rifles ranged from .17-caliber to .50-caliber
Browning Machine Gun (BMG) and just about
every caliber in between. And although some of
these were mediocre, some were pretty good—
not because I say they were good (which would
prove nothing) but because others said they
were. This is the deciding factor: when other
people say they are good.
Please note that the instructions given here
do not necessarily represent the only way to build
or modify a rifle; they are simply a way to
accomplish the end result. Undoubtedly there are
many others who have better methods of doing
these things than I do. Most of what I have done
was developed independently, with no one to
copy. So, to those of you who have a better way,
let it be known so that others may learn from it.
It should also be noted that I am almost 73
years old, my fingers are bent from arthritis to a
point where I can hardly hold a pen or pencil,
and my hands shake due to Parkinson's disease.
I have also been accused of being senile, as well
as almost blind, so my drawings are somewhat
ragged and some of my photographs blurred
because of my failure to attach my camera to
the tripod. One of the good things about
diminishing vision is that my work starts looking
better to me.
I must also point out that certain
components described in the book (e.g.,
receivers, bolts, sears, triggers) require quality
materials and precise heat treatment. Since
neither the publisher of this book nor I have any
control over works performed by others, we
cannot be responsible for any problems
experienced. I will repeat this caveat because I
want everyone to understand it.
For instance, if you acquire the specified
material to build the bolt and receiver, take
them upon completion to a reputable heat-
treater for the prescribed treatment (even
though the small parts can be heat-treated in
the shop), handle other parts in the same
manner, and adhere to the general dimensions
and design provided, the finished firearm will
likely function in the manner desired.
On the other hand, the know-it-all who
already knows all about such things, even
though he has no practical experience, picks up
whatever pieces of round stock of sufficient
diameter he comes across. With no knowledge
whatever of the composition of the steel, he
proceeds to fabricate the parts while making
"improvements" on the design and changing the
indicated dimensions. He skips the heat
treatment altogether. He can expect trouble and
may even lose some body parts in the process.
This is the kind of person who makes this
disclaimer necessary.
Many people have written to me through
the years asking the best way to learn the
gunsmithing trade. I probably don't know the
best way. One way is to enroll in one of the
gunsmith schools now in existence. Chances
are you won't be an expert when you graduate,
but you will have a good start. Another way is
to work for someone who actually is an expert
and learn from him. Still another way is to
simply buy yourself the necessary equipment
and start doing it. Don't practice on other
people's prize guns while learning, however.
Work only on your own stuff until you gain
experience and proficiency.
After spending most of my lifetime in the
trade, I no longer work on other people's guns.
I get my enjoyment from designing and
building prototypes. Many, many times I have
built parts to my own designs only to find that
they didn't work the way I envisioned. I had to
go back and redesign them and make the parts
all over again. It was time consuming, but I
 Introduction

usually learned from it. Usually I have to build
three or four guns of any one design, since I
always find ways to improve on it by the time
the one is finished. But when the final design is
achieved and working the way it was intended,
and equally important, other people like it, it
becomes worthwhile.
The designs and methods shown in this book
are intended for use in a small shop, using
single-point tools. The large-production shop
will have CNC machines, capable of turning out
more parts in a day than I could hope to in a
month. As I said, there are other ways to obtain
the results that I have outlined here. The one I
include arc simple ways that have worked for
me. You must decide for yourself how you want
to go about achieving the results you seek.
I used a professional photographer to
illustrate the finished parts and guns. Most of
the other photos, especially the ones showing
fabrication sequences, were shot while building
the parts. Some of these photos turned out
better than others; the inferior ones were mostly
due to my own ineptness. I am usually unaware
that the photos are inferior until after the film is
processed. By that time it is too late to reshoot
since the operation has already been finished.
So, on occasion, I am forced to include
substandard photos even though I dislike doing
so. I apologize to the reader for this.

This .338 Winchester Magnum on a Mauser action has a Claro walnut stock, blind magazine, new trigger and safety,
new trigger guard, and featherweight barrel with open sights.

This 12-gauge single-shot trap gun has a similar basic action as the rifles shown. It has very little recoil.

This 7.62mm sniper-type rifle uses the same basic action as described in the text. It has a 4-shot magazine, muzzle
brake, and folding bipod.

3
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

At the top is the 7.62x39mm rifle shown in the drawings. It has an English walnut stock, a quarter rib, a hinged-
floorplate magazine, an M70 type trigger and safety, and 24 lines per ineh (lpi) eheekering. The lower rifle in .250/3000
ealiber has similar features.

This .300 Winehester Magnum on a Mauser aetion, French walnut stock, quarter rib. M70-type trigger and safety,
muzzle brake, skeleton buttplate. and 24-lines per ineh eheekering.

4
 Introduction

This .50 Browning Automatic Rifle is basically the same action design, except nearly double in size.

The metal parts of the actions portrayed in this book. A long Magnum-length action, above, contrasted with the
short action, below.

5

Shortly after one of my
This 12 x 40-inch lathe is adequate for most gun work.
CHAPTER ONE
Tools and
Equipment
other books was published I began receiving
letters from readers complaining that they
couldn't afford to buy the lathes, milling
machines, and other equipment advocated. When
I suggested that some work might be farmed out,
one correspondent called me asinine because, he
wrote, the machinist doing the work might
recognize it as gun parts and report him to the
police. Still, he said, even though it would take
him at least a year to accumulate enough money
to buy even a small drill press, he wanted to
design and build guns. I wrote back, saying that I
didn't think my suggestion of hiring work done
was any more asinine than his thinking he could
do the work without tools and equipment.
At the risk of sounding like a smart aleck, I
must say that building complete guns can't be done
without the right equipment. If you can't afford it,
you should take up some other hobby or vocation.
Keep in mind, though, that a good lathe and
milling machine, properly taken care of, should
last the average gunsmith a lifetime. By being
properly taken care of, I mean the machines must
be kept level, cleaned at the end of the workday,
and lubricated regularly. Oil is one of the cheapest
things you can buy as far as preventive
maintenance goes.
If possible, the lathe should have at least a 12-
inch swing with as large a hole as possible through
the spindle. Most quality lathes now come with a 1
7
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
1/8- to 1 1/2-inch spindle bore. This is adequate
for most gun work, but there will be times when
you will wish it was bigger. Some time ago I
turned several .50-caliber BMG barrels to a
smaller contour and threaded and chambered
them for installation on a rifle of my own design.
How I wished for the .311 bore on a lathe that I
had sold some time ago. As it was, I had to swap
ends with the barrels several times before they
were completed. If barrel work is contemplated,
a length of at least 40 inches between centers is
desirable because it is sometimes handy to work
out on the end of the barrel with the other end
caught in the chuck. Small lathes are available
for considerably less money, but they are
severely limited in the work that can be
performed on them.
The milling machine can be of whatever size
suits you, provided it has the capacity to handle
the work you want to do. My own milling machine
is a 3-horsepower job with a 10 x 54-inch table.
The long table is essential because I use it to
machine octagonal rifle barrels and long shotgun
ribs. This machine weighs around 3,400 pounds,
which makes for solid, vibration-free operation.
Those who contemplate doing only action work
don't need more than 10 inches of table travel, so
a much smaller machine is adequate. Of course, I
would have preferred a Bridgeport, an Excello, a
Lagun, or similar make, but I expect this one to
last me for the rest of my working life. I bought a
belt-driven machine with a two-speed motor
instead of the more popular variable-speed-hcad
machine. I did this, not because the former is
slightly cheaper but because variable-speed
mechanisms have been a source of trouble to me
in the past. Several other people I know have
experienced similar problems.
I bought a 6-inch swivel base "Kurt"-type vise,
a set of collets, and a longitudinal power feed at
the same time I bought the mill. If I decide to do
repetitive work I will add a digital readout. For
one-of-a-kind parts I don't need it. A right-angle
head, arbor, and support, which allows horizontal
milling, will also be added if needed.
Several people have expressed the opinion
that one of these three-in-one type lathe, mill,
8
and drill machines would be just the thing for
gun work. Since I had reservations about this, I
wrote the suppliers of one of the more widely
advertised brands and asked them to let me use
one for a video and book I was about to do. They
didn't even bother to answer me, so I went with
the equipment I had on hand. Later a friend of
mine purchased one of these machines and
allowed me to try it out. In short order it
became apparent why the manufacturers had
ignored me. This little machine cost more than
$2,000 by the time the freight was paid, and
several other parts or accessories had to be
purchased to obtain the versatility advertised.
The lathe chuck had to be removed before the
mill could be used. Further, high-priced Morse
Taper collets were required, and a special
planetary-type pulley was required to reduce the
speed for threading, which was done by some
sort of off-breed threading attachment that I
didn't bother to try to figure out.
This three-in-one machine is even less
desirable when you figure that you can purchase
a small 9 x 20-inch lathe—complete with quick-
change gears, two chucks, a steady rest, and tool
post—and a table-model milling machine with a
2-horsepower motor, R8 spindle, and a table
capacity quite a bit larger than that of the three-
in-one machine for slightly less money. This
seems a better value by far, provided such small
machines are your only alternative.
No drill press is needed if you have a mill,
which can be used to locate and drill holes with
more precision than any drill press ever made. It
should be noted, however, that if ownership of a
milling machine is out of the question, milling
attachments are available that can be mounted
on the lathe carriage. One of these, together
with a good drill press, will allow many milling
and drilling operations to be done. Do not try to
use a drill press as a milling machine or to use
end mills in a hand drill.
Several years ago a friend of mine asked to
borrow a 3/16-inch-diameter end mill to use, he
said, to cut a slot in the breech block of an
autoloading to convert it to full automatic, as
described in a now defunct Arizona-based
 Tools and Equipment

magazine. Knowing that he had no mill, I asked

him how he intended to use it. He informed me
that he intended to use it in 3/8-inch hand drill,
as the magazine recommended. When I told him
that such a procedure was not only impractical
but downright dangerous, he suggested to me
that an established magazine obviously knew
more about such things than I did since it
represented experts in their field. Who could
argue with such logic?
I gave him the cutter, and he went his way,
only to return a few hours later with a bandaged
hand and the stub of the broken end mill. It
seemed that the unsupported end mill had a
mind of its own. Instead of cutting the slot he
envisioned, it simply skated off the part he
wanted to cut; walked across the back of his
hand, chewing it up in the process; and broke
when it came in contact with his vise. The
magazine is no longer in business.
While a metal-cutting band saw is not an
absolute necessity, even a small one like mine
will save a lot of hard work. Not many shop
operations are more tiring than trying to cut a
thick piece of tough alloy steel with a hand
hacksaw. The little 4 x 6 saw I have owned for
several years is slow, but it works as long as the
blade is sharp. Let it begin to get dull or lose its
set, and it jumps off the drive wheel. Buy a
bigger one if you can afford it.
A good heavy-duty bench vise is one of the
most important tools you can own. If you expect This 14 x 60-inch lathe has a 3-inch hole through the
to use it much, get the biggest one you can find. headstock spindle. This is an ideal size for all gun work.
Make sure it is made of steel; the cheap cast-iron
jobs break. My own vise, which was owned by
my father before I was born, weighs a couple of well as many other uses. It is also nice, but not
hundred pounds and is of all-steel construction. essential, to have a lathe tool post grinder. One
I have used it as an anvil, a press, and a sheet- of the little high-speed hand grinders is handy
metal brake, as well as to swage heavy sheet for polishing feed ramps and other small,
metal. I have hooked 6-foot lengths of pipe over internal grinding jobs.
the handle for added leverage and put my entire A gas welding outfit is useful for silver
weight on the end. (Such is required for some of soldering, heat-treating small parts, and certain
the operations I have needed to do.) A cheap, cutting jobs. Gas welding has more or less given
junk vise would have been in pieces if subjected way to tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, which,
to treatment like this. when done by a capable operator, results in
A bench grinder is a necessity both for almost flawless welds, penetrates well, and
sharpening tools and rough-shaping parts, as spreads heat less than most other processes. In

9
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
my own case, my hands shake and my eyesight
is so poor that I find it necessary to farm out any
welding jobs I need done. Fortunately about 200
yards from my shop there resides the best
welder I have ever seen. He did aircraft welding
for years before going into business for himself.
He now takes care of any welding jobs I have.
You will also need measuring equipment,
including micrometers, calipers, dial indicators,
a machinist's square, and an ordinary 12-inch
rule, as well as files, screwdrivers, chisels
hammers, a hacksaw, and maybe a hand drill.
Drills, milling cutters, and lathe cutting tools
Smaller machines, such as this 8 x 32-inch table, can be used for most operations but not for long-barrel work.
10
are also required. It is more economical to buy
high-speed drills instead of cheaper carbon-steel
drills because they will last much longer. I use
mostly carbide end mills and lathe tools, even
though they are more expensive than high-speed
cutters, because they last several times as long
and permit higher cutting speeds.
Please don't blame me for the fact that most
of the equipment described here is essential to do
the work described. Likewise, I am not
responsible for the fact that the equipment costs
considerable sums of money. Without it you won't
be able to do much, and that isn't my fault either.
 Tools and Equipment

This shop contains a bare minimum of equipment needed A long table mill is necessary if barrel work such as this is
to actually manufacture a firearm. contemplated. The table shown here is a 10 x 54-ineh model.

Older machines are sometimes found at bargain prices. This machine is equipped to do stick, metal inert gas
The 12 x 60-inch table machine shown here was (MIG), and TIG welding.
purchased for #600.

//
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

A welding outfit is used for brazing, silver soldering, and A heavy steel vise, sueh as this one, is essential for
heat-treating small parts, as well as bending operations. swaging and forming parts.

A metal-eutting band saw, even a small one sueh as this, will save a lot of hard work.

12
 CHAPTER TWO

Materials

Since we are dealing with guns using high-intensity, high-pressure

cartridges, the materials must be selected more
carefully than when used for low-powered,
blowback-type weapons. It is possible, even
desirable, to use salvaged materials (e.g.,
automobile leaf springs, shock absorbers, shafts)
for small parts, but it is advisable to obtain quality
materials of known composition from reputable,
knowledgeable suppliers.
Since I have used, and had good results with,
such chrome molybdenum alloys as SAE 4140,
4340, and 4350 in most of my own fabrications,
these are what I recommend. Although I am sure
there are other types that are equally desirable,
these are the ones I have used in the past and will
continue to use in the future.
Unfortunately such material stocked and sold
by metal supply houses and large machine shops
is expensive. Usually the supply houses don't even
want to talk about selling in any quantities under
a full-length bar, which can be anywhere from 12
to 20 feet long. Also, if the suppliers have to cut it
into shorter lengths for shipping, they add a hefty
"saw charge." Occasionally you can find a
machine shop that will sell a short piece, but the
shop will usually add a saw charge too. Recently I
needed a 2-foot-long, 2-ineh-diameter piece of
4140 for the manufacture of two .50-caliber rifles.
A local machine shop condescended to sell me the
material but also added a saw charge, which made

13
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
it cost $70. Since I had to have it, I went ahead
and bought it, but I cried all the way home.
You must take the round-bar stock wherever
you can find it and pay the price. But when it
comes to round seamless tubing and flat bar
stock, my favorite source of supply is the
following:
Wicks Aircraft Supply
410 Pine Street
Highland, IL 62249
These people will sell you whatever length of
material you desire, with no mention of a saw
charge or minimum length. In fact, when I asked
the gracious lady who takes phone orders if the
firm minded my listing it as a source of supply
in books and videos, even though it might result
in a number of short-length "nuisance" orders,
she said that Wicks welcomed such orders
because it helped get rid of the short-length
material on hand. It's a pity there aren't more
companies like that. If you do order from Wicks,
however, order enough to make it worthwhile
for the company to ship it. Wicks deserves
consideration too.
There are times when it is advantageous to
have round stock with an existing hole through
the center, especially for fabricating receivers.
Thick-walled seamless tubing is ideal for this
because it can be acquired in the same
composition as the solid stock. One source of
supply that I have had experience with is the
following:
Kilsby-Roberts
P.O. Box 9500
Brea, GA 92622
The above address is the corporate
headquarters. The company maintains branch
offices and warehouses in locations all across the
United States and Great Britain as well. Don't be
surprised if the company insists on selling a full-
length stick, though. Kilsby-Roberts is not as
sensitive to the small operator's needs as Wicks
is. It will also hit you with a hefty saw charge.
14
Around 1950 I started buying chamber
reamers from Fuller Manufacturing Company. My
dealings were always entirely satisfactory, so I
never looked anywhere else. Sometime later
Clymer took over and maintained the same high
quality and honest dealing I had come to expect,
so I continued to obtain reamers from it. Today
the company offers a wide variety of reamers,
choke tools, and other equipment. The address is:
Glymer Manufacturing Gompany
1645 W. Hamlin Road
Rochester Hills, MI 48309
There are times when it is uneconomical to
buy reamers in a certain caliber. One such
occasion might be if you expect to use it only
once or you can't afford the purchase price. In
such cases you might consider renting. There is
one firm that I know of that rents reamers and
head space gauges:
Whiterock Tool and Die
6400 N. Brighton Ave.
Kansas Gity, MO 64119
The proprietor of this establishment, Keith
Rice, has reamers in virtually every caliber that
Glymer makes. The 30-day rental period should
be long enough to finish any barrel job, and the
rental price is reasonable.
Presently there are a number of barrel
blanks available, ranging from the lower priced
blanks sold by Gun Parts Inc. through medium-
priced blanks from E.R. Shaw and Wilson, and
slightly higher priced ones from Douglas and
Shilen to the higher priced cut-rifled blanks
from such makers as Kreiger and Obermeyer.
The old adage that you get what you pay for
doesn't always apply here, since there have been
times when the very cheapest barrels have
grouped as well, or better than, the higher-
priced ones. I knew a rather unscrupulous fellow
for a number of years who obtained the very
cheapest barrel blanks available and fitted them
to whatever action his customer supplied. It
didn't matter which barrel the customer asked

for, this was what he got. Surprisingly, or maybe
not, almost all his customers were satisfied with
what they received. In the couple of instances
when they complained, he cheerfully replaced
the offending barrels with others from the same
source, and they went away happy. Such a
practice is, of course, equal to stealing and
should not be condoned, but it demonstrates
that price doesn't always ensure quality.
Stock wood is also available from numerous
sources. Much of the better wood comes from
California; some comes from other countries.
What I consider the hardest and strongest is
Bastogne (Belgian) walnut, with English and
French kinds running a close second. Here
again, there are certain unscrupulous
individuals who will attempt to pass off inferior
wood as top quality. For years I obtained stock
blanks from Jack Burres in California. Jack was
a conscientious fellow who usually sent me a
slightly better grade of wood than I'd ordered.
He always told me that if I wasn't satisfied with
what he sent to send it back for refund or
replacement, but I never sent back a single
piece. Some time ago Jack retired and sold his
remaining stock of wood to Edward Hargrove,
who can be reached at the following address:
Edward Hargrove
P.O. Box 599
Cotulla, TX 78014
Mr. Hargrove serves as county attorney of
LaSalle County and, as I understand it, plans
to retire in the near future and devote his
time to supplying quality stock blanks. From
my dealings with him it is obvious that
customer satisfaction is also his goal. Most of
the stock wood I purchase in the future will
come from him.
Springs, screws, drill rod, etc., can usually be
Materials
found in automotive supply houses and
hardware stores. Checkering tools, polishing
equipment, and bluing salts, as well as other
required items, are available from gunsmith
supply houses such as these two:
Jantz Supply
309 West Main
Davis, OK 73030-0584
Brownells Inc.
200 South Front St.
Montezuma, IA 50171
Although small, noncritical parts can be
heat-treated in the shop, such larger
components as bolts and receivers must receive
heat treatment from firms with the knowledge
and equipment to do it correctly. The only one I
have had experience with that was absolutely
satisfactory is the following:
Hinderliter Heat Treating
P.O. Box 480
Tulsa, OK 74159-4830
These people know what they are doing and
do it correctly, unlike several pseudo-experts I
have had experience with.
Please understand that my recommendation
of the above-listed firms and individuals is not
intended as a slight or condemnation of others.
Doubtless, there are others who offer
satisfactory products and services. Those listed
are the ones I have dealt with repeatedly and
satisfactorily.
Also, the addresses shown were correct at
the time this went to press. If they have
changed, please don't blame me or the
publisher.
15
 CHAPTER THREE

Design

As far as I am concerned, the best bolt-action rifles ever made were the 98
Mauser and the pre-1964 M70 Winchester. Most
efforts to "improve" them have left much to be
desired, and today most so-called improved
actions are designed more to lower production
cost than to actually improve quality.
Manufacturers have conned some gun
magazine writers into believing that plastic stocks,
castings, and sheet metal stampings are an
improvement over wood and machined steel. Make
no mistake: the reason for this is cost, not quality,
as many consumers are beginning to realize.
The action design shown in this book, which I
had hoped would actually be an improvement over
existing actions, is no better than most of the
others. The only improvement I could possibly
claim is that it is simpler and easier to fabricate in
a small shop, while retaining my preference for
fabrication all from machined steel.
The three-lug bolt might be considered
slightly stronger than a design with two opposed
lugs, since there is more locking surface and the
feed ramp is between the lugs and not cut away
as with the two-lug action. Only 60 degrees of
bolt lift is required to open the bolt, in contrast
to 90 degrees with the two-lug bolt. This 60-
degree lift allows more clearance between a
scope body and the bolt handle. The bolt lift is
somewhat stiffer because of the increased angle
of the cocking cam; this can be offset by using a

17
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
longer bolt handle. The extraetor position falls
just where one bolt lug is positioned when
unloeked: this requires the extractor to be
contained in the bolt lug. Properly done, this
won't weaken the lug to a great extent;
however, it won't improve it any either.
The best excuse for using a three-lug bolt
lies in the fact that the receiver lug slots are
short and can be cut far easier than the full-
length raceways in a two-lug receiver.
There are those who will try to tell you that
the bolt sleeve should be solid at the back end,
which supposedly protects the shooter from
escaping gas in the event of a pierced primer.
This assembly also requires some sort of
protruding cocking indicator to let the shooter
know when the piece is cocked, since the end of
the cocking piece or firing pin cannot be seen.
But if adequate gas vents are incorporated into
the bolt design, as they invariably have been for
the past hundred years, such a danger hardly
exists, and the sometimes bulky bolt shrouds or
sleeves are therefore unnecessary. The designs
included in this book, then, are similar to the 98
Mauser and M70 Winchester, as are most of the
more popular custom rifles.
The safety, as shown, while not a direct copy
of the M70 Winchester safety, is quite similar.
Such a safety is much harder to make in the
small shop than other types of safety. But it
looks nice and allows working cartridges
through the action with the firing pin locked in
the cocked position. This is not possible with
certain other types that require disengaging the
safety before the action can be opened.
Retracting the safety to the rear position locks
the bolt closed, as well as engaging the safety.
I have included a design for a sliding
button-tang safety for those who prefer it.
Many shooters like this one because it is easy
to reach with the thumb by both right- and left-
handed shooters.
The trigger shown is also of similar design to
the M70. In my opinion this is one of the safest,
most foolproof systems in existence, which also
provides a smooth, light, single-stage trigger pull
18
without creep or overtravel. Here again, this one
requires more time and effort to make than some
of the others, but the end result is worth it.
I have used a simple, coil-spring-loaded bolt
stop in this design, which only requires
depressing the release with a thumb to release
the bolt. Two ejector designs are shown. The one
I consider the better of the two is a blade type
operating from the same hinge point and using
the same spring as the ejector. The other is the
same spring-loaded-button type encased in the
bolt face as used in numerous commercial rifles.
The spring pressure exerted against the
cartridge head can be felt when opening and
closing the bolt, which is disconcerting to some
users. There have been numerous eases of rust
and debris (e.g., metal shavings) binding these
ejectors and keeping them from retracting
completely, which prevents closing the bolt on a
chambered round. If this happens while on a
hunting trip—as it has in the past—the results
can be disappointing to say the least.
I have included a one-piece magazine/trigger
guard assembly with a hinged floorplate in this
design. I have also included a blind magazine
type in which there is no metal box, only a stock
cavity in the wood, which is sometimes
desirable when building a lightweight rifle. The
hinged floorplate, as shown in the first design, is
slightly heavier but is useful to unload the
magazine quickly or to clear a jam in the event
of an overlength cartridge's hanging up in the
magazine.
The actions depicted here are short actions.
I wanted rifles that were different from most
others. So I built the one just long enough to
handle the 7.62x39mm Russian cartridge, which
is similar ballistically to the .30-30. The other
was designed around the .250/000 Savage
cartridge. Either of these is adequate for most
hunting purposes in the hands of competent
marksmen. Both are lightweight, short, rifles of
moderate recoil. Either action can be adapted to
other larger, more powerful calibers if desired by
increasing the dimensions to accommodate the
cartridge to be used.
Design

19

Before the receivers shown
Extra tools needed to form the interior of the receiver:
(top) drill of the smallest bolt diameter, (second from
top) drill slightly smaller than reamer diameter, (third
from top) reamer the size of the largest bolt diameter,
(bottom) broach to cut lug raceways.
G HAPTER FOUR
Receiver
Manufacture
can be fabricated a broach must be made up to cut
the bolt raceways. Tool steel, composed of material
that includes tungsten, chromium, vanadium,
molybdenum, and a fairly high carbon content,
should be used for this. Needless to say, such
material is expensive but necessary because the
finished broach should have a hardness of Rockwell
G65 to 68 without being brittle. This material is
available from various supply companies as 18-4-2
or 18-4-3, as well as other designations.
To build such a broach in a small shop, the
material is mounted in the lathe and turned to the
largest required diameter for its entire length. A
pilot is turned on one end to a diameter that is a
slip-fitted through the smaller inside receiver
diameter. The location of each set of teeth is
determined and, using a lathe tool, ground to the
contour required to form the radius and face
angle; each set of teeth is cut to the same depth as
the pilot diameter.
Each set of teeth is turned to the required
diameter, with each set slightly larger than the
previous one. Although most books on the subject
recommend that each set of teeth cut only .002 to
.003 inch, the length of the raceways is short, so I
made each set of teeth .010 inch larger than the
set in front of it. This causes each tooth to cut
approximately .005 inch. This may seem
excessive to some, but it allows a shorter overall
length, which reduces the chance of warping
21
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
during heat treatment. A clearance angle of 1/2
to 1 degree is formed just behind the face of
each set of teeth as they are turned to the
required diameter.
With the blank formed as to diameter, it is
set up in the milling machine and three
longitudinal grooves cut, 120 degrees apart,
around the circumference of the blank. The
sides of the lands must be straight and
perpendicular to the bottom of the grooves. The
bottom of the grooves must have the same
radius and diameter as the pilot. By using a
small 3/16-inch end mill and rotating the blank
slightly while making several light cuts, you can
shape the radius to a point where very little file
finishing is required.
If a tool and cutter grinder is available, the
broach should be made slightly oversized and
finish-ground after heat treatment. If, as in my
case, no such grinder is available, all cutting
edges should be cut to the finished size and
polished smooth.
If at all possible, the finished broach should
be taken or sent to a heat-treatment facility that
specializes in treating material of this type. This
does not mean that you should turn it over to
some punk with a small oven, who thinks he is a
metallurgist. Choose someone who not only talks
a good game, but also follows through on it. Since
the material used here is hardened at 2,200 to
2,500 °F and drawn (tempered) at 1,000 to
1,050°F, it is obviously not a job for an amateur.
In my case I am lucky enough to live close to
a large manufacturer of top-quality cutting tools,
and, even luckier, several people who work there
are friends of mine, including several members of
top management. They not only gave me the
material to make my broach, they heat-treated it
for me after it was finished. To date, I have built
seven actions in which this broach was used to
cut the bolt raceways. It remains as sharp as it
was before the first use and has no cracked or
chipped teeth or other deformations. This is
ample proof that the company's heat treatment
was correct and proper. It should also be pointed
out that most tool steels used for this purpose
can be straightened in the event that they warp,
22
but only for a short time after the heat treatment
is completed—usually 30 minutes or so. After
this period, elasticity fades and any attempt to
straighten the steel will probably break it.
The receiver blank is chucked in the lathe,
the ends squared, and the center drilled. It is
now turned to the desired diameter. A hole,
slightly smaller than the minor diameter of the
bolt, is drilled entirely through the length of the
blank. The forward end is then bored to the
minor thread diameter with the bottom, which
will form the receiver lugs, cut square or
perpendicular to the bored portion. The blank is
next reversed in the lathe chuck and bored from
the rear end using a drill somewhat smaller than
the finished diameter. This is followed by
another drill .010- to .015-inch smaller than
when finished and is reamed to size. If a new,
sharp reamer is exactly centered and in line
with the bore, and is used with an abundant
amount of cutting oil, very few tool marks will
be evident. It should be bored or lapped to a
slick, smooth finish.
The broach, built earlier as described, is
pushed through the receiver blank from the rear
end. This will cut and form the bolt raceways.
Obviously, the simplest and easiest way to push
the broach through is with a hydraulic or
mechanical press. Most machine shops and auto
body shops have such presses and will perform
this operation for a nominal fee. It is also
possible (as a last resort) to drive the broach
through with a heavy hammer.
Quite a bit of the excess material to be
removed in the operation just described can be
done by marking the location of each slot on the
outside circumference and clamping the
receiver to the side of the tool post. A 3/8-inch
end mill is mounted in the lathe chuck and used
to cut a semicircular slot where the broach cut
will pass through. The receiver is fed into the
cutter with the lathe carriage. The receiver is
rotated 120 degrees and the procedure repeated
twice more, causing all three slots to be cut.
The spacing of these slots can be determined
by wrapping masking tape around the outside of
the receiver and marking the exact length of the

distance around it. The tape is removed,
extended lengthwise, and measured. This
dimension is divided into three parts and
marked on the tape, which is again wrapped
around the receiver. An index mark is made on
the tool post and used to align the division
marks on the tape. This will space the slots cut
by the end mill accurately enough to coincide
with the broach used to finish the slots.
Following this, the receiver is once again
chucked in the lathe and threaded inside to
match the barrel threads. The diameter and
thread pitch can be whatever the builder
decides. I favor a diameter of .9125 (0-inch
threaded at 16 threads per inch [tpi] for smaller
diameter cases, such as a .308, .250/300, etc.).
For larger diameter "Magnum" cartridges, such
as .338, .375, and similar, I like a diameter of 1
inch, threaded at 16 tpi. There are several
schools of thought concerning barrel threading
and fitting, but I prefer a snug-fitting barrel-
receiver union, with some effort required to
screw the two together. I believe that this affords
a stiffer assembly than the loose, sloppy
threading used by some others, with which the
receiver can be wiggled in every direction right
up until the final tightening.
A centcrline is established along the bottom
of the receiver. This should also center on one of
the bolt lug raceways, which must also be located
on the exact bottom side. This lets the cartridge
feed from the magazine through the bolt-lug slot,
requiring only a minimal of metal to accomplish
it. The magazine opening, sear slot, and front
and rear screw holes are located and cut using
this centerline as a reference point.
Since the action screws will be 1/4 inch in
diameter with 28 tpi, the screw holes are drilled
with a .2187- (7/32-) inch drill and threaded
using a 1/4x28 tap.
The sear opening is cut using a 1/4-inch end
mill. If available, a ball or radius cutter should
be used to cut this slot because a plunge cut can
Receiver Manufacture
be made at one end of the slot and continued to
its full length without changing the cutter. If a
standard flat-ended cutter is used, however, a
hole must first be drilled with a twist drill and
finished with the milling cutter.
The magazine opening is formed using the
same 1/4-inch ball cutter. The slot is cut full
length and to a width just slightly wider than the
largest diameter of the cartridge used. Once this
is done the feed lips are formed, using the same
cutter, by extending the width as shown in the
drawings. Note that the dimensions given are for
the .762x39mm cartridge. When larger
cartridges are used, the dimensions must be
increased accordingly.
A short length of 1/2-inch-square material is
cut with a radius on one side to fit against the
receiver and a 1/4-inch slot cut down the center.
This is welded to the bottom rear of the receiver
just behind the magazine opening.
The part is turned upright in the milling
machine, and the excess material is cut away to
form a loading and ejection port, rear tang, and
bolt handle slot. It will be necessary to rotate
the receiver 90 degrees with the right side up to
do a portion of this. It is true that with more
material left above the ejection port, the stiffer
the action will be, and it will also be more
difficult to load. The configuration shown allows
easy loading of the magazine.
The receiver is turned with the left side up,
and a dovetail slot is cut for the bolt slot.
Although most people already know this, it is well
to point out that dovetail slots should first be cut
to depth and almost to width with a standard end
mill before finishing with the dovetail cutter. The
milling machine quill lock must be secured, as
well as the table clamps: cutters have a nasty
habit of trying to dig deeper as the cut is made,
which can easily spoil the work.
The part is now put aside until the bolt and
other action parts are fabricated, then they will
all be fitted together.
2J
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

24
Receiver Manufacture

25
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

26
Receiver Manufacture

27
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

28
 Receiver Manufacture

This broach, made from tool steel, is used to eut lug The receiver body is turned to the outside diameter.
raceways at the forward end of the receiver.

Surplus material can be removed from lug slots by The end of the receiver is turned flat and square.
clamping the receiver to the tool post and using the end
mill in lathe chuck, as explained in the text.

29
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

The receiver is threaded inside to accept the barrel. The left side of the receiver.

The right side of the receiver.

30

The bolt is made by cutting
The top bolt is for the prototype rifle. The seeond down
is for an Enfield. The third is for another prototype. The
bottom is for a Mauser. All were either built or modified
in my shop.
CHAPTER FIVE
Bolt
Manufacture
a section of round stock to length and squaring
the ends in the lathe. A small hole for the firing
pin is drilled in one end to a depth of 3/4 inch.
This should have a diameter of .076 inch, which is
made using a number 48 drill. Start the hole with
a center drill and feed the small drill in very
slowly using plenty of lubricant, withdrawing and
cleaning it frequently. If chips are allowed to load
up in the drill flutes, the drill will likely break off
in the hole. If that happens, it is easier to discard
the part and start over than to spend the time
required to remove the broken drill.
This same end is counterbored to a diameter
just larger than the cartridge head and to the
depth shown in the drawing.
The part is reversed in the lathe chuck and
bored, first with a 1/4-inch drill to the depth
shown. This should intersect and line up with the
smaller hole previously drilled from the other end.
This is followed with a 1/2-inch drill to a slightly
lesser depth, which provides clearance for the
main spring and enlarged firing pin flange. I
suggest that new, sharp drills be used here. It is
imperative that this hole, consisting of three
different diameters, be straight and exactly
centered. Even slightly dull drills have a tendency
to wander off center, so don't take chances. Drills
don't cost all that much.
The end is bored out to a diameter of .600 and
.500 inch deep. A section .750-inch deep just
31
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
forward of this is threaded .587 inch by 16 tpi to
mate with the threaded portion of the bolt sleeve.
A section .500-inch wide must remain at full
diameter at the front end of the bolt body. This
will form the locking lugs. Just behind this, a
section .525- to .530-inch wide is turned to a
just slightly smaller than the smallest inside
diameter of the receiver. This will allow
clearance for the receiver lugs. The rear side of
the bolt lug portion must be cut exactly square
and perpendicular to the bolt body.
Location of the three locking lugs is laid out
around the circumference of the bolt body. This
is best done using a dividing head or indexing
fixture. Lacking either of these, it is possible to
do this by wrapping a layer of masking tape
around the bolt and marking the exact distance,
just as was described for the receiver lug
location. This measurement is divided in three
equal parts, which locates the center of each lug
at 120 degrees apart. Then, with the bolt
secured in the milling machine, a cut is taken
on each side of the lugs center line to the depth
of the smaller relief section. This is repeated to
outline the other two lugs. By rotating the bolt
slightly and taking repeated cuts to the same
depth, most of the surplus material between
each bolt lug can be removed. What remains is
removed and shaped with a small file and
finished with abrasive cloth.
The bolt should now fit into the receiver
and rotate to the locked position. If it doesn't,
whatever material preventing it from doing so
must be located and removed. This is fairly
easy to do by coating the bolt head with some
sort of marking compound and trying it in the
receiver. Smoking it with a candle will leave a
black coating on the metal, as will a thin coat
of quick-drying spray paint. Bright spots in this
coating, when the bolt is tried and removed,
indicate places where the binding occurs and
should be relieved.
When the bolt opens and closes smoothly, a
hole is drilled near the left rear of the receiver
as shown, and the slot for the guide pin is
marked through this hole with the bolt forward
but in the unlocked position. The bolt-handle
32
location is also marked at this time. The guide
pin slot is cut with an 1/8-inch end mill.
A bolt handle is turned from 3/4-inch round
stock. If possible, this should be made from the
same material as the bolt, but almost any steel
available will do for this. The handle can be
shaped as shown or to whatever suits you. The
upper end, which will form the root of the bolt
handle, must be left oversized and flats
machined on two opposing sides as well as the
concave portion, which fits against the bolt
body. Relief cuts are made on the top and both
sides to facilitate a deep weld joint, and the
handle is clamped in position on the bolt's right
side and welded in place. TIG welding is best for
this because it penetrates well with less heat
spread than other types. Properly done, this
weld will be undetectable when dressed to size
and polished.
The bolt sleeve is turned from round stock to
the contour shown, drilled to accept the firing
pin, and threaded to match the bolt thread. It is
cut to length and, when threaded in place, the
exact bottom centerline marked. A .250-inch-
wide slot is cut along the centerline to clear the
cocking piece and the sides relieved to mate
with the receiver tang.
A safety lever is made up as described in
Chapter 7 on safeties and the bolt sleeve drilled
to accept it. The curved portion that clears the
cocking piece can be formed exactly by taping
the safety lever in place in the forward position,
securing the threaded end in the lathe chuck,
and boring it with a 1/2-inch end mill mounted
in the tailstock drill chuck.
The retaining pin hole is drilled with the
safety lever in place in the bolt sleeve. If the drill
is run through this hole with the safety in its
forward position and again with the lever in the
rearmost position, the location of the retaining
groove will be marked at both ends and can be
cut with a small triangular file.
The plunger hole is drilled in the position
shown and the plunger and spring fitted. The
position of the three plunger detents are marked
with a drill from the front side. These are finished
with a slightly larger drill and triangular file.

The cocking piece is made from 4140, or
similar, 1-inch round stock. Start by drilling a
hole for the firing pin with a 7/32-inch drill and
thread it with a 1/4 inch x 28 tpi tap. One end is
bored with a 1/2-inch end mill to a 3/4-inch
depth. The opposite end is turned to a .500-inch
diameter by .350-inch long. Next, a section .250-
inch wide is located on the exact center and,
using a fixture to rotate the part, the remaining
material is cut away. This will leave a series of
small flats, which is dressed to the same contour
as the already turnedl/2-inch round portion.
The end that engages the sear is cut and shaped
with a nose angle as shown.
The firing pin is turned from 1/2-inch round
stock. This too should be quality material. I
have in many cases used the piston shaft from
automobile shock absorbers for this with good
results. Certain types of drill rod can be used
but may prove to be brittle.
With the bolt in place in the receiver, a mark
These are bolts for the prototype rifles. The one at the top is finished.
Bolt Manufacture
is made through the sear slot on the one side
with the bolt in its closed position and another
on the opposite side with the bolt unlocked.
This will mark the cocking cam location, which
can be roughed in with a small end mill and
finished with a file and abrasive cloth.
A cut is made in the upper right-hand bolt
lug and an extractor made as shown. The hinge
pin hole should be drilled with the extractor in
place to ensure proper alignment. A small 1/8-
inch diameter spring is used here.
Two types of ejector are shown. The spring-
loaded type, which is contained in the bolt face,
is simply inserted in the hole in the bolt face
and pinned in place. The other, a leaf type, is
made as shown and hinged to the receiver. This
one requires a slot in the bolt face to let the end
of it contact the cartridge head.
The parts can now be assembled, but final
fitting may be required after the other parts are
made and in place.
33
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

34
Bolt Manufacture

35
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

Excess material from the weld is removed in the lathe, The same procedure is done on the rear side. A concave
leaving a flat, square shoulder. curve in the front side is shaped using a small drum sander.

The bolt body is turned to size. The bolt body is bored for firing mechanism.

36
 Bolt Manufacture

An end view of the bolt head showing the firing pin hole.
Locking lugs are located and cut at the forward end of the
bolt. In practice, this should be done before the bolt

The bolt used in the sniper rifle is the same basic bolt described here. It differs mostly by using a flat bolt handle.

37
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

The bolt used in the rifle. The spoon-type, flat handle is Bolt handle, turned from round stoek. This one is made to
rough shaped, ready to weld in place. be welded to the bottom of the original bolt-handle stub.
Those to be welded to the side of the bolt should be longer
and contoured to fit the body closely.

The handle is clamped in place on the bolt body and is

ready to be welded in place.

A military bolt body and new bolt handle are held in place
for welding by clamping both to a flat plate.

38
 Bolt Manufacture

An .03 Springfield bolt with new handle in place. This bolt was made in wartime. Those made in peacetime were mostly
smooth bodied, without the step surrounding the safety lug.

39

My own opinion, which is
Trigger template in plaee on a pieee of truek leaf spring.
CHAPTER SIX
Trigger
Assemblies
shared by many, is that the firing system used on the
M70 Winchester is one of the best ever designed.
Rugged and dependable, with a safe, light, crisp pull
easily obtainable, this type of trigger mechanism is
far superior to the stamped sheet metal and
aluminum assemblies used on many rifles.
Although not an exact copy, the designs used
on my rifles are similar to the design referred to
for the very reasons just described. While quite a
bit of work is involved in building the same, the
end result is worth it.
I should also mention that I have built these
triggers not only for rifles of my own design and
manufacture, but for several bolt-action trap guns
and for both .30- and .50-caliber sniper-type rifles.
If there was ever a problem with even one of
these, I never knew it.
It is a fairly simple procedure to cut both trigger
and sear from suitable flat stock. These can be
sawed to shape with either a hand hacksaw or
metal-cutting bandsaw, but the easiest and most
precise way is to form them with the milling
machine. A 1/4-inch carbide end mill is used for
most of the outline, but the front curve of the trigger
is formed with a 1-inch or 1 1/4-inch end mill.
In practice, the front face of the trigger is
rough-shaped with the small end mill, and the
curved portion finished with the larger cutter. The
back side of the curve can be rough-shaped
freehand, using the small end mill and the
41
A Muster Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
remainder cut to on the back side can using a
disc sander, crown on the trigger face.
The sear is cut the same way, by forming the
outline with the small cutter, then clamping it
upright in the mill vise, and cutting the straight,
flat surfaces with a 3/8-inch end mill.
Flat spring material, as taken from leaf
springs used on older automobiles and light
trucks, is the prime source of material for these
parts. It is too hard to machine as it comes, but
it can be softened by heating it and allowing it to
cool slowly. Actually it isn't necessary to
completely anneal it as is done by heating it to a
high temperature, usually a bright cherry red,
and cooling slowly. Heating to just a hint of a red
color and cooling will usually soften it to a point
where it is workable. Suspending it over a bluing
tank burner for 30 minutes or so will usually
accomplish this.
Location of the holes is crucial. Both the
sear and trigger should be put in place in the
action and the hole locations marked through
the pivot pin holes. A hole is drilled and tapped
vertically through the rear arm of the trigger to
accept a 6x40 adjusting screw, which limits
overtravel and serves as a spring guide. A .187-
inch diameter spring pocket is drilled from the
top side at the forward end of the sear to house
a sear return spring.
Final fitting is done by installing both parts,
with springs in place, in their respective
positions. The sear should move upward to
block the cocking piece as soon as opening the
bolt cams it to the rear. The notch, or groove, at
the front of the trigger must snap upward and
engage the lower front edge of the sear, holding
42
it in the cocked position. It is a good idea to
leave these parts slightly oversize and remove
metal from the sear face and trigger notch, using
files and stones until they mate correctly.
With only a slight redesign this trigger
assembly can be used on Mauser, Springfield, or
Enfield actions. A mounting plate 1/4-inch-thiek
by 1/2-inch-wide, with a 1/4-ineh-wide-slot
down the center must be welded or silver-
soldered to the receiver tang on both the Mauser
and Springfield to provide mounting points, and
the sear slot in the receiver tang must be
lengthened.
The Enfield can be used without the
additional mounting plate, provided the existing
slot is milled deeper and the curved section just
in front of the rear stock bolt is machined flat.
The existing sear slot must be lengthened at the
front. The reason for this is to allow the portion
of the sear that extends upward through the
receiver tang to be lengthened to a point where
the cocking piece keeps it pushed down or
depressed when in the forward (fired) position.
If this is not done, the relief cuts in the bottom
of the cocking piece can let the sear move
upward until the trigger engages before the firing
mechanism is cocked, thus binding the action.
Note that the exact shape of these parts is of
little importance as long as the sear contacts the
cocking piece at the end of the cocking motion
and the trigger notch engages the sear at the
same time. It is also important that the lower
sear face be almost directly under the pivot pin.
If not, it will try to cam the trigger leg downward
and out of engagement, which will require a
heavier spring to counteract.
Trigger Assemblies

43
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

Trigger cut to profile and ready for forming to finished The pattern is eemented to metal for tracing the outline.
shape. Also shown are the finished sear and the mounting plate in
place on the receiver.

Mounting plate for trigger and sear, silver-soldered to the Drawing temper of the sear. Heating on a large plate
bottom of the reeeiver. ensures even distribution of heat.

44
 Trigger Assemblies

Finished triggers and sears in place on rifles. These are the actions shown in the drawings.

Trigger assembly in plaee on the prototype. Trigger assembly installed on a Springfield.

45

The side-swinging,
The safety shaft is formed using the inside of a counter-
bore that originally used a 1/4-ineh drill as a guide.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Safeties
three-position safeties shown here have long been
considered as among the very best by those who
really know and use guns. These safeties are also
time-consuming and difficult to build in the small
shop. A good CNC mill permits rapid production
of them, but in a small shop, where only single-
point tools are available, it takes time. However,
the end result makes it worthwhile.
The safety lever, the part that extends from
the right side and swings back and forth, should
be made from tough enough to withstand the
friction of its movement against the cocking piece
without wearing away. The rear edge of the
extended shaft of this part must cam the cocking
piece far enough to the rear to disengage it from
contact with the sear each time the safety is
engaged. Low carbon steel (e.g., 1018) would wear
rapidly in such a situation. A tough alloy (e.g.,
4140, ) should be used for this.
The shaft proper is formed by clamping the
material in the mill vise and cutting away
material with a small end mill, leaving an upright
slightly over 1/4-inch square and slightly longer
than the finished shaft will be. Counterbores are
available that use a 1/4-inch drill as a center
guide. Using one of these, without the drill in
place, it is positioned directly over the upright
and fed downward. If the drill guide is well
lubricated and fed slowly, this will result in a
smooth 1/4-inch-diameter shaft. Note from
A Muster Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
Illustration K that a smaller .100- to .125-inch
projection is required at the very tip end. This
will support the lower end of the shaft in the
bolt sleeve, allowing the larger diameter shaft to
rotate. This can be formed by using an open-
center milling cutter that has a center hole of
the desired diameter. The mill table must not be
moved in the horizontal plane while this is
done. The table can be lowered to allow
changing cutters and raised again, but both
diameters must remain concentric.
The remainder of the lever can be shaped as
desired and the outer surface checkered,
grooved, or left plain. The contour shown
permits full forward and aft movement and looks
fairly decent. The longitudinal grooving, cut
with a metal checkering file, provides a nonslip
surface. It can be shaped to your own desires.
A hole must be drilled from the top of the
bolt sleeve to allow a snug fit of the safety
shaft. Almost half of the shaft diameter must
protrude inside the hole for the cocking
piece. This requires that a close-fitting plug
must be inserted in the bolt sleeve hole to
support the drill.
Otherwise, it would wander to the
unsupported side and likely break. The
smaller diameter hole for the lower end
support is drilled first. This one should go all
the way through the bolt sleeve. The larger
hole is then drilled to the required depth, and
the plug is removed.
A concave cut must be made in the side of
the safety shaft to clear the cocking piece when
the safety is in its forward (ready to fire, or off)
position. This can be accurately done by
assembling the lever in position and taping it
securely, using several layers of electrician's
tape. The threaded end is caught in the lathe
chuck, and the material to be removed is bored
out, using an end mill in the tailstock chuck. A
relief cut must be made at the rear end of the
bolt sleeve to allow the safety to swing fully to
the rear. Also, a hole must be drilled lengthwise
to contain the safety detent and spring. This is
drilled with an .087-inch drill and enlarged
partway with a .156-inch drill. With the bolt
4S
installed in the receiver and fully closed, the
location of the slot that locks the bolt closed can
be marked by running the .087-inch drill in
until it contacts the bolt and drilling slightly into
it. This hole should then be deepened and
enlarged slightly.
Three detents must be made around the
circumference of the upper shaft. These are
located by drilling slightly with the .087-inch
drill from the front end of the bolt sleeve. One is
marked with the safety completely forward,
another with it positioned halfway to the rear,
and the third with the lever completely to the
rear. When these are enlarged slightly, the
spring-loaded plunger will hold them in position.
A small hole of .065-inch diameter is drilled
through the side of the bolt sleeve. This is to
contain a retaining pin to hold the safety lever
in place. It is best to drill this hole with the
safety lever installed and hope that about half of
it intersects the lever. If the drill is run through
it with the safety in both the front and rear
positions, each end of the retaining groove will
be marked, and the remainder can be cut with a
small triangular file.
The safety is assembled by installing the
spring and plunger in the hole and, while
pushing against the plunger with the shaft,
pushing it in the hole. The retaining pin is
installed, which keeps the safety in place. The
firing pin spring is put in place around the firing
pin, the firing pin is pushed through the bolt
sleeve, and the cocking piece is screwed on.
Ideally, with the bolt in the closed position and
the trigger and sear installed, pulling the safety
to the rear will cam the cocking piece slightly to
the rear, completely out of engagement with the
sear. If it doesn't do this, a small amount of
metal must be removed, either from the cocking
piece or the sear, until this happens. Correctly
done, the trigger can be pulled with the safety
engaged, and when the safety is released, the
firing mechanism will remain locked in the safe
position. If the firing pin moves forward after the
safety is released, this is a dangerous condition
and must be corrected.
If undue effort is required to engage the

safety, a small bevel should be stoned or filed on
the right side of the cocking piece or the edge of
the safety shaft until it will move rearward with
only a small amount of resistance
The three detents that the spring plunger
contacts should have a slight groove cut between
each one with the forward two some .050-inch
deeper than the rearmost one. This is so that
when the safety is moved to its rearmost position,
the spring plunger will be cammed into the slot
cut in the rear of the bolt and lock it shut.
Safeties of this same type can be made up
and fitted to such existing actions as the Mauser,
Springfield, and Enfield, as well as others. In
most cases it will be necessary to build up the
bolt sleeve somewhat to provide enough room
for the safety shaft. This is quite simple on the
Safeties
Enfield. A close-fitting collar is bored and
welded in place over the bolt sleeve. After the
relief cuts are made to clear the receiver tang,
the hole is drilled and the safety is installed, as
described for the fabricated rifle.
The Mauser and Springfield will require
slightly more work since extra metal must be
welded both to the right side and top. The
remainder of the process is done as
previously described.
It is possible to manufacture new bolt
sleeves for existing actions. In fact, several
companies do just that. But, I am told, they use
CNC machines, which turn out one of these
parts in short order, whereas, with the single-
point tools usually found in the small shop such
practice takes most of a day.
49
A Master Gunrnakers Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

50
The safety lever, rough-finished, is next separated from The bolt sleeve is turned from round stock.
the steel bar and finished with a sanding wheel and drum
sander.

The safety lever in place on the bolt sleeve is taped in the The finished safety and bolt sleeve in place on the rifle.
forward (unlocked) position, allowing the relief on the
shaft to be bored in the lathe. A 1/2-inch end mill should
be used for this.

51
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

Top view of the safety in the unlocked position.

The safety in place on the prototype rifle.

The safety and modified holt sleeve on a Mauser.

52
 Safeties

Side view of the finished safety.

Bottom view of the finished safety. The safety, shown with bolt sleeve.

The cocking piece, bolt sleeve, firing pin, and spring make up the striker assembly.
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

The bolt stop rides in dovetail on the right'side.

The bolt stop shown on the finished rifle.

54
 CHAPTER EIGHT

Bolt Stop
and Ejector

This chapter shows two ways to install the ejector. The first is a blade
type, hinged at the rear and spring-loaded to cause
it to pop up into the bolt face when the bolt is
retracted. It contacts the cartridge head and
causes the fired case to be thrown from the
ejection/loading port. This style has no contact
with the cartridge case until the bolt is almost
completely retracted.
Since this part is exposed to wear from friction
on the upper side and battering on the forward
end, it should be made from better material than
common sheet metal. A thin strip of some sort of
tough, wear-resistant alloy should be used here. A
thin strip of the material used for the action parts,
such as the 4140 or the leaf-spring material, can
be cut from the larger block and used for this. A
hole is drilled and counterbored for the screw
head at the rear end, and the forward end must be
offset as shown in the drawing. This end must fit
closely, without binding, in the receiver slot. The
front end should protrude from the bolt face .250
inch when the bolt is completely drawn to the
rear. The spring recess should be cut in line with
the spring pocket in the receiver.
The bolt stop must fit the receiver dovetail
closely. The projection on the inside surface that
contacts and stops the bolt should be angled
forward slightly at the upper front face, giving it a
slight hook. If angled in the other direction, it
could cam its way out of engagement if the bolt is

55
A Master Gunmakers Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
withdrawn quickly and slammed to the rear. The
spring pocket must be in line with the sear hinge
pin, which holds the spring in place. The top
edge of the bolt stop should be rounded slightly
to enhance its appearance and the upper surface
checkered, matted, or cut with lengthwise
grooves to provide a nonslip surface.
Another type of ejector can be installed
simply by drilling a small hole for a spring-
loaded plunger just inside the rim of the bolt
face. This is held in place by a cross pin.
Without pressure against it, the plunger
(henceforth called the ejector) should extend
from the bolt face, with the front face even with
the bolt body rim. When pressed inward against
the spring, it should stop flush with, or just
below, the surface of the bolt face. A flat slot on
one side of the ejector gives clearance for the
cross pin.
This type is simple to make, but it has
drawbacks. First, it causes pressure between the
bolt face and cartridge head as the bolt is closed
and rotated shut. Second, it is trying to eject the
empty case before the bolt is open, and just as
soon as the case neck clears the rear of the
receiver ring it is (probably) ejected. Other
times it can be forced out of the bolt face and
may fall back in the action. Third, if any sort of
dirt or debris works its way into the spring
pocket, it will keep the ejector from bottoming,
and the bolt won't close on a cartridge.
I first learned of this shortly after the 700
series of Remington rifles was put on the market.
A friend of mine bought one of these in 7mm
Magnum caliber and was quite proud of it initially.
Then, one day he called me and asked what to do
with a rifle that had its head space growing.
56
"Hell, I don't know," I replied. "Cultivate it
and sell the fruit?"
I'm not kidding," he said. "The head space
has grown so much I can't close the bolt on a
shell."
I suggested he bring it by, and, sure enough,
the bolt would no longer close on a loaded
round. I tried everything I could think of (he
even wanted to deepen the chamber) and finally
removed the ejector. The bolt would once again
close on the cartridge. Further examination
revealed a minute amount of shaved brass at the
bottom of the ejector hole. When this was
removed and the ejector replaced, his growing
head space stopped. The rifle was restored to
working order.
I have heard of, and experienced, this
happening on several occasions since. If it
happened to your only rifle while you were on
an expensive hunting trip, your hunt would be
ruined. Keep this in mind when choosing.
Very little modification is needed on
military bolt stops. The Mauser can have the
little flange at the upper front checkered or
grooved, which won't really help it any. Enfields
can have the bolt stop spring cut off just behind
the pivot and a thin strip silver-soldered to the
rear side of the pivot to maintain spring
tension. The little round button is discarded,
and (usually) the excess material at the rear of
the receiver bridge is cut away and reshaped.
The Springfield should have the upper edge of
the bolt stop cut away until the bolt can be
removed without opening the bolt stop far
enough to require cutting a relief cut in the
stock. The only reason for this is to maintain a
straight top line on the stock.
Bolt Stop and Ejector

57

Custom magazine/trigger
A hinged floorplate, shown here on my number-one
rifle, is a desirable feature.
CHAPTER NINE
Magazines,
Trigger
Guards, and
Floorplates
guard assemblies that incorporate hinged floorplates
have become a desirable, almost mandatory feature
of today's custom rifle. The magazine box proper is
tailored to accommodate the specific cartridge used,
including depth, length, and width. The hinged
floorplate, which may or may not be useful in
loading or unloading the gun, is most desirable as an
aid in clearing a jam, which could result from an
overlong or otherwise nonstandard cartridge. Of
course, this is unlikely to happen if a magazine box
of adequate length and width for the subject
cartridge is used, but it is possible.
Several specialized manufacturers make and
market such custom magazine assemblies, but
they are expensive. Most cost as much, or more
than, a complete factory-made rifle. These are
only made to fit certain rifles or actions, leaving
others to be fabricated in the shop. Besides, if you
intend to claim that you built the gun, you should
actually build all of the component parts yourself.
If you obtain parts from other makers and simply
fit and assemble them, you are just another
mechanic . . . not a gun maker.
Actually, there are several ways to build such
an assembly in a small shop. Assuming that an
existing magazine assembly with the correct
internal dimensions is used—as on Mauser,
Springfield, and similar actions—modification can
be done simply by extending the front side of the
trigger guard bow enough to accept a latch that
59
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
will secure the floorplate and making a
replacement floorplate.
To accomplish this, the front side of the
trigger guard is slotted as shown, using a 1/4-inch
inch end mill and a spacer made to fit inside this
slot. Two small filler blocks, one for each side,
are cut from flat stock and shaped to fit against
the front trigger guard edge. These are relieved
along the surfaces to be welded to ensure deep
penetration of the weld seam. The filler blocks
are clamped in place against both the spacer and
the trigger guard and welded using the TIG
process. These are then shaped to the desired
contour and dressed flush with the sides of the
existing guard. If done by a skilled welder, no
evidence of the weld joint will remain.
A floorplate latch is made from flat stock, as
shown in Illustration V. This should be made of
heat-treatable material and hardened after
completion. It is desirable that this part fit the
slot closely, without unsightly gaps to mar the
appearance of the finished product. The hinge
pin hole is drilled through both sides of the
guard and the latch simultaneously, with the
latch secured in position. This can be done
easily by temporarily cementing the part in
place using superglue or similar adhesive. After
drilling, the parts can be separated by heating to
350 to 400 degrees, which will cause the glue
joint to release. A hinge pin is made from a drill
rod, or similar item, of the same diameter as the
drilled hole, preferably with one end slightly
larger then the drilled hole. This will ensure that
it remains securely in place after installation. A
fairly stiff 1/4-inch-diameter coil spring is
installed in the spring pocket as shown. This
exerts pressure on the latch, holding it in the
closed position. This spring should have enough
stiffness to require considerable effort to release
the latch. This will assist in holding the
floorplate shut during firing since recoil can jar
the floorplate open, causing cartridges
remaining in the magazine to be dumped on the
ground at the shooter's feet. This could cause a
considerable amount of excitement if it
happened while the shooter was facing a
charging wounded animal. Although this has
60
never happened (to my knowledge) with one of
my guns, I have been told about its happening
with others and was assured that it wasn't a
pleasant experience.
The floorplate is made from flat stock of at
least .450-inch thickness. This too should be
made of heat-treatable material, such as 4140 or
similar. While this part does not actually require
any heat treatment, the spur that is engaged by
the latch and the hinge area will resist wear
better than if low carbon steel of the 1018 class
is used.
The part is formed by first clamping the
material in the milling machine and then cutting
away the excess material from the upper
surface, leaving a projection at the front end
that forms the hinge block. This should be at
least high and left slightly wider than the
required thickness to permit final hand-fitting. A
slot to accept the follower spring is machined
lengthwise along the centerline, with an
undercut tab on each side at the forward end to
hold the spring in place. The little slitting saws,
as used with the Dremel-type hand grinders, can
be used to form the undercut. It is possible to
achieve the same purpose by grinding a flange at
the end of a four-flute milling cutter, which
forms a narrow saw-type cutter. Copying the slot
in an existing floorplate is advisable.
A 4-inch-wide slot is cut in the front tang to
accept the floorplate hinge. If a relief, or
lightening, cut is present on the upper side, a
filler block should be shaped to fit and silver-
soldered in place before this cut is made. This
will eliminate, or at least limit, the side play that
will be present if it is not done.
The front hinge block is now fitted into the
slot, which has been filed square at the forward
end, while at the same time fitting the "straddle"
rear end of the floorplate into, and around, the
trigger guard. A close fit is desirable here and is
obtained by milling and carefully filing the parts
until such a fit is obtained.
The hinge pin hole is now drilled. Again, this
should be done with the parts clamped together
and drilled through in one operation. A close-
fitting pin is made from drill rod or similar

material, preferably with one end a couple of
thousandths of an inch oversize, which will hold
it in place when assembled. Don't try to make
this pin (or any other pin for that matter) from
soft material, such as nails or coat hanger wire,
because it will bend or wear quickly.
In the event your weld joints don't work out
the way they should, or if a complete new
magazine assembly is required, an entirely new
trigger guard bow can be machined from solid
stock and welded to the lower rear of the
magazine box. This can be made from 5/8-inch
flat stock in most instances. However, the
original 98 Mauser trigger guards are slightly
wider than this. If intended for use with a pre-
inletted or existing stock, slightly thicker
material should be used.
The outline of both the inside and outside
shapes, or contours, should be scribed or
otherwise marked so that they remain visible on
the surface of the material used and the excess
cut away with the milling machine. The inside
should be cut first. If a 1- or 1 1/8-inch-diameter
end mill is available, the inside opening can be
cut to exact size, thus requiring only a small
amount of finishing. Even so, the inside opening
should be roughed out with a smaller cutter of
1/2- or 5/8-inch diameter and finished with the
larger one. If it is necessary to form the entire
opening with the smaller cutters, a certain
amount of finishing with files or small-diameter
grinding wheels will be required.
The outside contour can be formed by
milling away the surplus material, as close to the
marked outline as you are comfortable with, and
finishing with a sanding wheel. The slot for the
floorplate latch is machined in the same way,
and to the same dimensions, as the built-up
guard previously described. A slot to clear the
trigger is cut from the top side, and a wider
lightening cut is made to reduce weight. The
screw hole is not drilled until the magazine box
is finished.
A new magazine box, whether a replacement
for an existing action or for an entirely new
action, is made by folding a 16-gauge (.0598-inch)
sheet metal blank around a form block, which
Magazines, Trigger Guards, and Floorplates
forms the forward end and both sides of the box.
A filler plate, cut from 12-gauge (.1046-inch)
material, is welded in place between the rear ends
of the sides, forming the completed box.
Although the front tang can be made from
1/4-inch flat stock, slightly thicker material (such
as 5/16- [.312-] inch) should be used if available.
The extra depth allows a deeper weld joint and
more material around the hinge pin, making for a
slightly stiffer assembly. It will look better if
made the same width as the trigger guard.
The parts can be aligned for welding by first
clamping the magazine box in its exact location
on the bottom of the receiver. The distance
between the rear of the box and the screw hole
in the receiver rear tang is measured and the
dimension transferred to the trigger guard,
whereupon the screw hole is drilled and
counterbored for the screw head.
Locating and drilling the front screw hole is
done in the same manner. Both the front end of
the trigger guard and the rear of the front tang
are cut to length and beveled to accept a fairly
deep weld, extending all the way around them.
Both parts are located in place by blocking them
up to the desired heights and installing the
guard screws. Both joints are then welded, using
the TIG process. The welds must be built up
enough above the surface to allow dressing them
back flush with the surface, after which no trace
of the welding should show.
The floorplate hinge slot is now cut in the
front tang, and the floorplate is fitted in the
same fashion described earlier when an existing
assembly was used.
A short trigger guard, for use with blind
magazines or single shots, is made in the same
manner as that previously described, except
that the latch slot is omitted and the front tang
is lengthened and drilled for a retaining screw.
It is recommended that the outside contours
of both the trigger guard and the floorplate be
formed using a stiff-backed sanding wheel and
hand-finished using files and progressively finer
grits of abrasive cloth or paper. Properly done,
this results in sharper, flatter surfaces, which
enhance the finished appearance.
61
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

62
Magazines, Trigger Guards, and Floorplates

63
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

64
 Magazines, Trigger Guards, and Floorplates

Slot is cut after welding.

Shaped to match outside
contour of the trigger guard.
1.600" fe»j J,

T
1.450"
oo" 1
T
7 ^ -200
•
V^ -500" U

Ul
*l k .250"
.250"

T
.0625"

_JL_

FLOORPLATE LATCH FRONT TANG

65
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

Custom trigger guard/magazine assemblies made entirely The modification of an existing assembly is begun by slotting
in my shop. At top is a .416 Rigby using an Enfield Action; the forward end of the guard bow to accept the latch.
at bottom is my number-one 7.62x39.

A slot is cut in the front tang for the floorplate hinge. A spacer is cut to fit the trigger bow slot.

66
 Magazines, Trigger Guards, and Floorplates

The spacer in position. Filler blocks, or "fillets," are made to weld to the guard bow.

Filler block in place with a spacer in position. Filler blocks clamped in place ready for welding. Note the
beveled edges, which permit a deeper weld.

67
A Master GunmakerJs Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

Welding completed, ready for shaping and finishing. Rough shaped, ready for final polishing and finishing.

Bottom view, showing hinge and latch cuts.

A new guard is made by marking inside and outside outlines To form the inside contour, a 1 1/8-inch end mill is used.
on steel plate. Enough material has been removed with a
small end mill to allow a larger mill to be used to finish.

68
 Magazines, Trigger Guards, and Floorplates

The inside eontour eut to finished size. The outside is shaped using a small end mill.

The outside contour partially cut. It will be cut the rest of The latch slot is eut in the same manner as previously
the way with a saw and finish-shaped with sander. shown.

69
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

The guard cut to finished shape. The lower guard is A top view showing a blind magazine guard at left. An
intended for use with a concealed magazine. integral guard with latch cut at right.

This shows trigger slot and lightening euts. The bolt hole A blank to form the magazine body is cut from 16-gauge
should not be drilled until all parts are completed. material.

70
 Magazines, Trigger Guards, and Floorplates

The form block, with sheet metal blank in place, is The upper side is folded flat, using block and hammer.
clamped in the vise.

The assembly is turned over, and the operation is The magazine box, formed to shape. Welding a block in
repeated. the open end will complete the box.

71
 A Master Gunmakers Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

Component parts ready for welding.

Welded and finished assembly with floorplate in place. Completed assembly with floorplate (right).

12
 Magazines, Trigger Guards, and Floorplates

Assembly with floorplate in place. The floorplate is made by first machining away surplus
material while leaving the projecting hinge block in place.

The completed floorplate showing the hinge bloek at left, the slot for spring, and cuts for latch and straddle at right.

Hinge pin holes are drilled with parts clamped together, ensuring alignment.

73
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

Side view of finished assemblies. At the top is a Mauser From left: bottom views of Mauser 98, Springfield with new
98; the other two are Springfields. trigger bow, and Springfield with modified original bow.

Finished magazine assembly in place, with ease-colored finish.

74

Most of the modern
Top: A 1917 Enfield with a new magazine and hinged
floorplate, new trigger, safety, and holt handle. Note the
quarter rih and reeoil lug under the harrel.
CHAPTER TEN
Modification
of Existing
Actions
bolt-action sporting rifles, including the ones
featured in this book, are close relatives to several
military rifles of pre-World War I and II vintage. In
fact, most evolved in various shapes, forms, and
sizes by incorporating features from these rifles
into the designs of the ones manufactured now.
Therefore, it should be considered that any so-
called improvements built into these later guns
might very well improve the older ones if added.
In fact, many of the older gunsmiths have been
doing this for years.
I was told by a recent gunsmith school
graduate that the school now condemns the use of
military actions in the building of custom rifles
because they are considered unsafe. Instead, the
instructors advocate purchasing one of the more
modern actions or barreled actions and building
the rifle around it. This usually involves removing
and discarding the stock and barrel, which seems
quite wasteful. It also ignores the fact that these
military actions have stood the tests of time and
battle and that they are composed of machined
steel while the more modern actions may contain
mostly castings, stampings, and flimsy alloy parts,
all in an attempt to cut manufacturing costs. Note
that in some cases the modifications described
may also be adapted to the (modern) actions.
Of all the military bolt actions three stand
above the rest: the P14 and P17 Enfield, the
Springfield 03, and the Mauser 98, along with its
75
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
variations. Of the three, the Enfield is the first
choice to build a rifle chambered for the long
cartridges of the Magnum variety. It also
requires the most work to turn into a thing of
beauty and joy forever. If the work is well done,
however, the end result is worth it.
Much has been written about which Enfields
are safest, which are more desirable, and which
are most apt to blow up. The P14 Enfield was
designed in England to handle a .276 Magnum
cartridge for military use—hence, the huge
action. When it became apparent that World
War I was about to begin, the designers decided
that there wouldn't be time to change calibers,
so the rifle was barreled for the .303 British
cartridge and the magazine was modified to
make the shorter cartridges feed. Several U.S.
companies (New England Westinghouse, better
known as the Eddystone; Winchester; and
Remington) were contracted to build the
modified Enfield. Then, when the United States
got into the war and there were only two plants
to build Springfields, Enfield production was
taken over and the rifle was chambered for the
.30/06 cartridge.
The firing pin was enlarged significantly, and
the magazine was altered to feed. Apparently the
rifle was never used in combat, but rather
chiefly as a training rifle.
Drawing on my 50-some years of experience
in remodeling such rifles, I found that the
"Eddystones" built before the war and in P14
configuration were the smoothest and best
finished, even though others condemned them
as unsafe. Though I have seen pictures of the
same, I never actually saw a blown-up action.
The Winchesters are adequate but rougher. The
Remington has a solid receiver bridge, whereas
the others have an oblong cut under the rear
sight, which must be filled.
The receiver, with metal removed and
the remainder reshaped some, turns out to
be considerably lighter in weight and
features contours as pleasing to the eye as
most of the others.
The first step is to remove the rear sight ears.
Some receivers are soft enough that most of the
76
material can be cut off wit a saw. Others are
almost as hard as glass. These can be milled away
using carbide cutters. With the rear sight
removed on the Eddystone and Winchester, a
large oblong cavity is visible in the top of the
receiver bridge. (The Remington has a solid
bridge.) It has been said that this cavity was done
to save weight. With all the other extra material
present on this action, I doubt that this was the
reason. Whatever the reason, the unsightly gash
should be filled, and it must be if scope mounting
is intended. The easiest way to fill it is to make a
close-fitting plug and weld it in place.
Many people think the rear-bridge contour
should be a true radius, the same radius as the
receiver ring. I think they still look fat when
done this way and should be ground to the same
shape and relationship to the receiver ring as
the Mauser.
The bridge can be shortened. The clip
guides should be ground away completely, and
the lines are blended into the forward portion
of the receiver using a fairly sharp curve.
Starting at the rear of the bridge proper, cut
the left side of the rear of the receiver straight
down, where it will join the tang with a short
radius. This will remove all the portion of the
receiver ring lying behind the bolt stop pivot,
down to the receiver tang. The portion of the
bolt-stop spring extending behind the bolt-stop
should be cut off, and a thin strip of metal is
silver-soldered to the rear of the bolt-stop pivot
for the spring to bear against. The safety is
removed and discarded, and both sides of the
tang are cut to the same shape.
The bolt handle is one of the ugliest ever put
on a rifle (would you believe it was once copied
by a maker of .22 rifles?). The unsightly bends
in the handle were put there to clear the rear
sight. Now that the sight has been removed,
there is no further reason for it. The handle can
be heated and the bends straightened out. This
will leave it too long, so the knob should be cut
off and reversed, jamming the hollow portion
over the shank and welding it in place. All
excess material in the handle should be ground
away, giving it a more graceful shape. But since

welding is required anyway, a far more graceful-
appearing handle can be turned as described in
Chapter 5 and welded in place.
The clumsy cock-on opening feature so
beloved by the British can be best eliminated by
building out the cocking cam on the bolt enough
to cock the striker on the upstroke of the bolt.
This was the system used by Remington when it
made a sporter from the Enfield and called it a
Model 30S, which later evolved into the Model
720. A first-class welding job is called for here
and should be done by the heli-arc process. The
cam proper can be ground to the angle and
shape of a Mauser or Springfield, and the inside
weld can be smoothed up in the lathe. The
outside can be ground or filed back to the
outside contour of the bolt. When finished, the
surface of the cam must be hardened. This can
usually be done by heating the immediate area
around the cam to a cherry red and quenching it
in oil. It is then drawn to a straw color.
When the preceding operations are finished,
the entire bolt and extractor should be polished
to the highest degree possible. As issued, most
bolts work hard, and a good part of the trouble is
caused by a rough bolt and extractor. The rest is
caused by the extractor rubbing against the bolt
lug race and causing friction. Peening the ends
of the extractor collar pulls the extractor in
toward the bolt body and eliminates much of
this, making it a slick, smooth-working action.
An M70-type trigger, as shown for the
prototype rifle, can be installed without the
addition of a mounting block. The inside
bottom rear of the lower tang must be cut out at
the rear almost to the bolt hole, and the sear
slot is lengthened.
The side-swing safety that is included in the
prototype design can be installed by welding a
slab on the right side of the bolt sleeve to
contain the safety shaft. This is best done by
making up a round collar, which will just slip
over the bolt sleeve, and welding it in place at
the front, rear, and lower edges of the cocking-
piece opening. It can then be milled flat on the
sides and top, and completed as described for
the prototype.
Modification of Existing Actions
A new hinged-floorplate magazine assembly,
as described in Chapter 9, can be used with this
action simply by changing the dimensions as
required. This will add greatly to the appearance
and usefulness of the rifle since the odd-shaped
trigger guard and the wide frame around the
magazine are eliminated.
Whatever caliber you choose, some metal
removal is probably necessary to make the
cartridges feed properly. This is mostly required
on the feed ramp just in front of the magazine
opening and at the rear sides of the receiver lips.
Well-executed and finished, this action is the
equal to any in existence. Springfield actions
require far less work to be presentable. These
were actually the basis for the Model 54
Winchester, which later evolved into the Model
70 by using several of the modifications
described here.
The actions on Springfield rifles with serial
numbers below 800,000 were made using a
simple case-hardening treatment and are said
to be unsafe with modern ammunition. All
sorts of stories exist about how the actions
have simply blown apart when fired. Back
before I knew about this, I fired several
thousand rounds of military ammunition that
had been liberated by some of my older
relatives who had access to it in the army.
This ammo was fired in one of the low-
numbered rifles, but I found nothing unsafe
about it. I have known of several cases where
others have used these same "unsafe" rifles
for years without any problems. A number of
"blowups" were later attributed to firing 8mm
cartridges in the undersized .30/06 barrels.
This was also determined to be the cause of
"blowups" of M1895 Winchesters in .30/06
caliber. Rifles made at Springfield with serial
numbers between 800,000 and 1,275,767
were given what was known as a "double heat
treatment," as were those made by Rock
Island Arsenal with serial numbers between
285,507 (rifles below this number were also
unsafe) and 319,921. These were considered
safe and dependable.
Up until around the start of World War II the
77
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
firm of R.F. Sedgley had available low-numbered
Springfield actions that they claimed to have
"re-heat-treated." My first "custom" rifle was
built on one of these actions, for which I paid
$25. I didn't have any trouble with it, but, then
again, I didn't have any trouble with the original
either. Rifles from Springfield with numbers
above 1,275,767 and from Rock Island above
319,121 were made from nickel steel and were
considered the strongest of the lot.
The later rifles, designated 03A3 and 03A4
(which were intended as sniper rifles), were
made by Smith Corona and Remington. They
were usually somewhat rough on the outside
and had several stamped parts. Although plenty
strong enough, these are not as desirable as the
original actions.
The Springfield receiver is about as good as
is possible to get it without alteration. The bolt
stop and ejector housing can be reshaped to a
bullet-like profile, which some consider
desirable. The rear tang can be reshaped and
narrowed to resemble that of a Mauser. This
allows a slimmer, more rounded upper grip line
on the stock. Except for a good polishing, this
should take care of it.
If the M70-type trigger is desired, it is
necessary to make up a hangar, or mounting
block, and silver-solder it in place, as shown
Chapter 6.
Even if no scope is to be used, a new bolt
handle enhances the looks of the rifle. In certain
instances 03A4 sniper rifle bolts have been
substituted for the original. These were made
with production in mind, and most are quite
rough, with varying steps in the diameter along
the bolt body. The handle is too short and
poorly shaped. It is far better to modify the
original bolt, which has a smooth body, and if it
is stamped "N S" (which indicates nickel steel),
it is one of the very best. While the original
handle can be heated and forged lower to clear a
scope (using a set of bolt-bending blocks to hold
it in a vise and protect the lugs from the heat),
the most attractive bolt handle is turned to
shape and welded in place. The bolt-bending
blocks are available from gunsmith houses, as
78
are weld-on bolt handles if you don't want to
make your own.
It has been written that the two-piece firing
pin is unsafe because it could break at the joint
and allow the gun to fire accidentally. Here
again, I have only heard about this. Although I
have rebuilt and remodeled several hundred of
these rifles over the years, I have never seen it
happen. It is possible to adapt an Enfield firing
pin if you are uncomfortable with the original,
but I have never found it necessary or desirable.
Although the knurled knob on the end of the
cocking piece is handy to cock and uncock the
striker, cutting the knob off enhances the
appearance of the rifle. Because this removes
most of the threads between the cocking piece
and firing pin, and could allow them to separate,
it should be secured by welding around the rear
end of the firing pin and cocking piece, or
drilling a hole through the side and cross-
pinning them together.
The side-swing M70-type safety can be added
by welding a slab of metal to the right side of the
bolt sleeve to contain the safety shaft and the
locking pin and spring. The top is ground off,
removing the original safety shaft housing, and
rounded off to blend in with the side you added.
The original trigger guard and magazine
assembly is easily the best looking such
assembly ever put on a military rifle. With the
addition of a hinged floorplate it is at least equal
to any seen on factory-made sporting rifles. I
refer here to the original milled jobs. The
stamped ones, as included on the A3 and A4,
aren't worth carrying home.
Because of the quality of the original, it is only
necessary to make up a new floorplate and hinge
it in an opening cut in the front tang. This hinge
should mate closely, without a visible gap, when
closed. Two small strips are welded at the front of
the guard to hold the floorplate latch. The
assembly is shaped to the contour shown. (This
operation is described in detail in Chapter 9.)
The Model 98-type Mauser is considered by
most to be the best of the military and sporter
actions ever built. Obviously, since the Mauser
came along first, most of the others copied
 Modification of Existing Actions

something, however minor, from its design. As with the Springfield, the magazine
Ironically, while this action is considered the assembly, if in good condition and free from pits,
strongest and best, it is the only one I have ever should have the hinged floorplate added. Most of
seen actually blown up. But this was caused by these also have lock screws to lock the guard
an idiot who thought he was a reloading expert screws and keep them from backing out (as if
and knew more about the reloading subject than one ever did). These should be welded shut and
any reloading manual. To him, powder was dressed flush. The trigger guard is somewhat
powder, whatever the designation. If a maximum larger than it needs to be. If you are happy with
load was listed, some more was better. this, the front can be built up as described
Overlength cases, due to a lack of trimming, previously and reshaped. A new trigger guard
meant nothing to him. It was too time- can be made as described before and, with the
consuming. The end result was the upper part of old guard cut off, welded in place at the rear of
the receiver ring being blown off, wrecking a the magazine.
perfectly good action. It takes quite a lot of time and work to make
About the only modification needed on the these modifications, but the end result, if well
receiver is to remove the clip charger guide and done, is an action that is equal to, if not better
grind the front of the bridge to the same contour than, any on the market today. These actions
as the rest of it. This makes it possible to use the are safe to use with factory-loaded ammunition,
same scope bases as on the FN and other as well as reasonably loaded hand loads. This
commercial actions. should make it all worthwhile.
As with the Springfield, this trigger assembly
must have a mounting block silver-soldered to
the bottom of the tang. This is drilled for pivot
pins to hinge the trigger and sear. (Such triggers
are described fully in Chapter 6.)
The bolt handle sticks straight out on most
of the earlier actions and is bent down on the
later ones. These can be forged low enough to
clear a scope, as described for the Springfield.
The resulting handle will be too short to look
good. The original handle should be cut off and a
new handle welded in place.
If a simple jig is made, as shown in the
pictures and drawing, it is a simple matter to
clamp both the bolt body and handle in place
where they can be joined together by the heli-
arc welding process. The welds on the front and
rear sides can be cut smooth by turning in the
lathe, and the outer side can be formed with a
small grinding wheel and drum sander.
The side-swing safety is installed just like on
the others, by building the right side out to a
point where the safety shaft can be mounted in
place, together with the locking pin and spring.
The top safety shaft housing should be ground The oval slot in the reeeiver ring should be filled by
off and blended into the sides, leaving a smooth, welding a close-fitting plug in plaee and dressing smooth.
rounded contour. Remington aetions do not have this slot.

79
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

The cocking cam on the Enfield bolt must be built up by An Enfield bolt with a new handle, bolt sleeve, and safety,
welding, as shown, ground and filed to shape, and well and altered to cock on opening.
polished.

An Enfield bolt-stop and ejector housing altered as described in the text.

80
 Modification of Existing Actions

From top: Prototype bolt, Enfield bolt, A Springfield 03 action, altered as deseribed in the text.
and Mauser bolt, built as deseribed.

The same aetion shown above right in myrtle wood stoek. This is the last rifle I ever built. It was for a friend of mine,
now deceased, who was almost 7 feet tall and weighed some 300 pounds, hence the long grip.

S7
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

A 98 Mauser bolt, altered as described. A Mauser with all alterations described in the text. This is
a .338 Winchester Magnum with a Bastogne walnut stock.
This is the hardest piece of walnut I ever worked with.

Trigger assembly mounting block silver-soldered in place This simple jig makes locating and welding bolt handles in
on a Mauser receiver. place easy.

82

While it is possible to bore,
Equipment needed for octagon or fluted barrel work (from
left): tailstoek, supports (clamps), and indexing bar.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Barrel Fitting,
Chambering,
and Shaping
ram, and rifle barrels from a solid-steel billet, or
blank, the cost of the tooling and equipment
necessary to accomplish this in the small shop
makes it impractical as long as barrel blanks with
finished bores remain available.
At present there are a number of barrel
makers practicing their trade and producing barrel
blanks with finished interiors in just about any
configuration desired. Though I have always liked
the idea of being able to truthfully say that I built
every part of my guns in their entirety, I could
never justify the expense it would take to build
only a small number of barrels per year. So, when
people ask if I made the barrel I am forced to
admit that I used a purchased pre-rifled blank.
Most applications require only a round, light
sporter contour barrel. Since these are available
already turned to shape, and come in several sizes
and weights, it makes sense to procure them with
the outside finish turned to the contour that
comes closest to your requirements . . . especially
since these cost only a few dollars more than an
unturned blank.
There are, however, instances where it is
necessary to procure barrel blanks in the
straight-cylinder configuration. This is required
when such features as an extra recoil lug is made
on the barrel of a rifle with heavy recoil, or an
integral front sling swivel machined on the
barrel, or an integral front sight ramp, among
83
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
other reasons. Octagon barrels require a larger
diameter blank, in certain cases, than a round
barrel of similar dimensions.
Whatever the outside contour is to be, the
barrel installation should begin by turning the
barrel shank to its required diameter and
cutting threads on it. Some gunsmiths chuck the
muzzle end of the barrel in the lathe and place
the tailstock center in the breech end while
threading and chambering it. This requires use
of a steady, or center, rest to support the breech
end during the chambering operation. Others
shove most of the barrel length into the lathe
headstock and secure it with the chuck. The
tailstock is used in the same manner as above
for threading and chambering. Personally, I
favor the idea of inserting the barrel through the
headstock spindle and securing the breech end
in a four-jaw stock, or an adjustable three- or
six-jaw chuck, allowing something over an inch
to protrude from the chuck. Using a dial
indicator, the bore is centered, and the
threading and chambering can be done without
having to use the steady rest.
There are gunsmiths who make a practice of
cutting barrel threads somewhat undersized,
allowing the action to screw on the barrel with
quite a bit of slack and wobble. Their theory is
that when drawn up tight, all contact will be on
the front side of the threads, which results in
better alignment . . . or something. I like the
idea of a snug thread fit, whereby the action
screws on without any looseness or wobble and
some effort is required to turn it for the last
couple of threads. It should also be tightened
home quite firmly and forcefully.
With the threading completed, the
chamber should now be cut. For the past
hundred years or more it was the common and
recommended practice among barrel fitters to
cut a chamber almost to depth using a
roughing reamer. This left the chamber slightly
undersize and was followed with the finish
reamer, which cut the chamber to its finished
dimensions. This removed only a small
amount of metal, thereby reducing wear on the
finish reamer. This was followed, in many
84
instances, with a burnishing reamer, which
exerted only a scraping and polishing action
and left the chamber extrasmooth.
Now, in the past few years, more and more
people in the gun trade have begun to advocate
using only a finish reamer to cut the entire
chamber. If this method is used, the chamber
should first be roughed-out with drills to remove
all excess material possible. The chamber is
roughed in a series of steps with a change of drill
size at each step. To allow for any slight run-out
of the drills, the drilling should be kept at least
.050-inch undersize at all points.
Regardless of which method is used, the
process is similar in either ease. With the lathe
running at its slowest speed, the well-lubricated
reamer is fed into the chamber end using slight
pressure from the tailstock. It must be
withdrawn frequently, have the accumulated
chips removed, and be relubricated. Do not
neglect this. Chips accumulate in the reamer
flutes with amazing rapidity and, if not removed,
can score the chamber or seize and break flutes
off the reamer before it is realized that anything
is wrong. Abundant lubrication is required.
Unless you are absolutely certain that the
tailstock center is in perfect alignment with the
center of the bore, the tailstock center should
not be used to center the drive end of the
reamer. Just a few thousandths of an inch off
will cause the reamer to cut an oversize
chamber. Clymer, the reamer manufacturer,
makes and markets a floating reamer drive that
will correct any small misalignment. Acquire
one of these if possible.
Some means must be used to keep the
reamer from revolving with the barrel. A tap
wrench works well for this, provided the
handles are short enough to clear the lathe bed
in ease you didn't pay attention to what I said
about chip accumulation and lubrication and
the reamer seizes. If this happens and you
turn loose of the handle quickly enough, the
reamer can turn with the barrel until the lathe
can be stopped.
The final, or finished, chamber depth (often
referred to as headspace) can be determined

by measuring the distanee from the front edge
of the receiver to the bolt face using a depth
mike. This measurement will be equal to the
distance between the barrel shoulder and the
cartridge head, which will usually extend
slightly from the chamber. It is a good idea to
stop slightly short of the finished depth and cut
the last few thousandths by hand, measuring
frequently and trying it with the action
screwed in place until the bolt will just close on
the "go" headspace gauge.
Although not necessary when using a new
action, such as described herein, it is sometimes
a good idea to square the end of the receiver,
especially when using military actions and the
like. This will require making up a mandrel that
will extend through the receiver and mount in
the lathe chuck. The forward end of this
mandrel must be threaded to match the receiver
thread and relieved to allow a light cut to be
taken from the front face of the receiver,
thereby truing and squaring it.
In many instances it is desirable to lap the
bolt lugs to the receiver lugs. This is
accomplished mainly by applying a thin coating
of some sort of abrasive compound to the
contacting surfaces of the lugs. With the bolt in
its locked position in the receiver ,it is worked
by opening and closing it from the locked to
unlocked position while keeping a slight
rearward pressure on it. This should be
continued a number of times or until you get
tired of doing it. All traces of the lapping
compound should be removed when finished.
For the enlightenment of those who have no
knowledge of barrel work, it should be noted
here that barrel work in a large production shop
is a different procedure than that practiced by
the small shop operator. Large shops cut the
chamber and form the exterior of the barrel in
machines especially adapted to the work at
hand, using pressure-lubricated reamers and
cutting tools throughout the operation.
The exterior shape of the barrel can be of
just about any configuration desired by the
owner, but the most common is the tapered
round barrel. These are available from most
Barrel Fitting, Chambering, and Shaping
barrel makers as unthreaded, unehambered
blanks with outside contours ranging from light,
featherweight barrels through several
increasingly larger, heavier weights to the fully
unturned blank of some 1 and 1/4 inches at both
ends. Quite a bit of work can be avoided if one
of these standard contours can be used as it
comes from the manufacturer since it can take
several hours of lathe work to turn a barrel from
the basic full-sized blank to the contour desired.
Even if a special profile, requiring special
shaping or forming, is required it is possible to
avoid a good bit of work by obtaining a slightly
larger blank and removing whatever material is
required to meet your specifications.
The most common profile for round barrels
includes a short cylindrical section, slightly
smaller in diameter than the receiver ring,
located just forward of the thread shank. Just
ahead of this is usually a short, tapered section
that extends forward a short distanee to the
smaller diameter of the long-tapered barrel,
which extends in a shallow straight taped to the
muzzle end. This section usually has a slight
concave in the taper and has been referred to by
others as the forcing cone. Just why this is I
have never understood because I can't see how
it "forces" anything. But smarter men than I
have decreed it. The long portion extending
forward from this taper extends with a shallow
straight taper to the muzzle. If such items as
integral front or rear sight bases, barrel swivel
base, or recoil lugs are to be incorporated, a full-
diameter blank should be used with appropriate
lumps, or sections, left if sufficient diameter to
form the item required and excess material
removed with the milling machine and files.
Octagon barrels, which many people refer to
incorrectly as hex barrels (they have only six
flats as opposed to the eight present on the real
thing), require some extra equipment—most
important, a milling machine with enough table
travel to expose the entire length of the barrel to
the milling cutter. The machine table must also
be long enough to mount some sort of indexing
fixture at one end of the table and a tailstock
that will locate and support the barrel at the
85
A Master Gunrnaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
other end. The standard 42-inch table that
comes standard on the average vertical mill
simply isn't long enough.
When I began machining octagon barrels, I
bought a new machine with a 10x54-inch table.
I shelled out several thousand dollars for it.
Although it worked out just the way it was
supposed to, I found a better deal later on. A few
weeks later I purchased another considerably
older machine with the same length table. This
mill was a combination vertical and horizontal
mill in excellent condition. It was also extremely
well equipped. I bought it for less than one-
eighth of what the new machine cost. The
company I got it from decided to put all new
equipment in its shop and didn't have room for
it. So look around; you may find a bargain too.
Some means must be provided to precisely
index the barrel blank in eight different identical
positions at 45-degrce intervals around the
barrel. This can be with a dividing head, a rotary
table in a vertical position, an indexing spacer,
or a fixture made for the purpose.
After several weeks of experimentation I
made up an octagon fixture that could be
mounted in the mill vise with one end bored to
fit over the breech end of the barrel blank. This
fixture was machined to the octagon form using
a heavy dividing head and tailstock. I then
bolted the swivel base mill vise in place at the
extreme end of the mill table and the tailstock at
the other end. The tailstock requires a false base
to permit off-setting it for the taper to be cut.
This, together with the swivel-based vise, allows
the blank to be offset at the muzzle end, which
permits any desired taper to be cut.
I made up three supports, which arc bolted
to the mill table and fit over three sides of the
barrel, clamping it in place and dampening
vibration. The barrel is quite rigid and vibration-
free when clamped and held this way, more so
than when mounted only between centers.
When using the vertical mill, as shown in the
accompanying photographs, all cutting is done
from the side. A shell mill of 3 or more inches in
diameter is mounted in the mill spindle and
turned at the slowest speed possible. A coolant
86
pump should be used to pump plentiful amounts
of lubricant on the work. You may find through
experimentation that faster cutter speeds are
more desirable. But these large-diameter shell
mills, which are necessary to form the
previously mentioned "forcing cone" (that in
turn changes the round shank at the chamber
end to the octagon shape), are expensive and
last much longer when run slowly.
Remove as much excess material as possible
by lathe turning, or obtain a barrel blank just
large enough to finish to the octagon
dimensions. The blank is then mounted on the
mill table and secured as described. With the
cutter revolving slowly, the barrel blank is fed
into it some .040 to .050 (forty to fifty
thousandths) of an inch and the power feed and
coolant pump engaged, making a full-length cut.
The blank is then turned 180 degrees, and an
identical cut is made on the exact opposite side
from the first. It is then rotated another 45
degrees and another cut made; then another
180, then 45, then 180, until the entire rotation
is made and all eight sides started. This
sequence is repeated with a deeper cut on each
rotation until the finished dimensions are
reached. There are those who will try to cut
each flat to its finished depth or rotate it only
45 degrees between cuts. This invites warpage
and may set up stresses that will affect the
accuracy of the barrel. It takes a little bit longer
to do it as described, but the end result makes
it worthwhile. Too much work has gone into
this project to take a chance on ruining it by
taking shortcuts.
Fluted barrels can be executed by turning
the round barrel to its finished dimensions and
mounting it on the mill table, as described
earlier. In this case a 2-inch or larger diameter
convex cutter of the desired width is mounted in
the mill head, and the cuts are made in the
same way the octagon barrel was done.
Caution should be observed when cutting
flutes. I know of at least two instances where
self-proclaimed experts cut such flutes too deep
and the barrels split or cracked down the
bottom of at least one flute. This happened to

one such genius of my acquaintance, who
bragged long and loud about his own intelligence
and ability. He took a .50-caliber rifle of his own
manufacture all the way to Turkey to
demonstrate it to several foreign governments.
He bragged to everyone who would listen about
how rich he would be when he secured the
contract he was sure he would get. After a few
shots during his demonstration the barrel blew
out through a flute that was cut too deep. Both
gun and demonstration were ruined, and our
hero came home sadder but (I hope) wiser and
closed his business shortly thereafter.
The half-octagon barrel (where the barrel is
octagon shaped at the breech end and remains
forward until somewhere near the halfway length,
where it blends smoothly into a round cross
section that continues to the muzzle) makes a
most attractive barrel when properly done.
This process is begun by turning the round
front section to the desired finished diameter.
These barrels look best when kept fairly slim.
The rear part is likewise turned using the same
taper but left oversized enough to allow cutting
Barrel Fitting, Chambering, and Shaping
the flats required to form the eight sides. These
should blend smoothly into the round section
without showing a ridge, or step, where the
transition occurs.
As previously stated, much labor can be
avoided by obtaining barrel blanks that are
already shaped to dimensions close to those
desired. For instance, if a barrel is required with
a muzzle diameter of .600 (six hundred
thousandths) inch by 24 inches long, several
barrel makers will supply one with just these
dimensions. If a slightly smaller diameter is
required, that size can be turned from it. If a
larger barrel is wanted, blanks are available to
accommodate these.
Turning barrels to size in the small shop can
be done in several ways, but probably the
simplest and easiest is to turn the rear
cylindrical section and "forcing cone" to size.
Then, with the barrel placed between centers,
the tailstock is offset to produce the desired
taper, which blends into the forcing cone taper.
Several light cuts are usually required to reduce
the diameter to the desired size.
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88
Barrel Fitting, Chambering, and Shaping

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A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

Mounted in place on mill table, with bar mounted in vise, Side view of the barrel support.
clamps in place to dampen vibration, and tailstock
supporting the muzzle end.

End view of the barrel support. Tailstock (note the false base needed to allow offset, which
will establish desired taper).

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 Barrel Fitting, Chambering, and Shaping

Indexing bar is formed using dividing head and tailstock. The barrel is attached to an indexing bar, the bar is
elamped, and the clamps and tailstock are in place.

A large-diameter shell mill is used to maehine flats. Turn Close-up of the indexing bar clamped in mill vise. The bar
at the slowest speed possible for longer tool life. must rest squarely against the vise bottom with the front
flange against the vise jaw.
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

Straight-tapered barrels with a large cross section can be Full-length view of straight-tapered barrel during
machined using smaller-diameter end mills running at a machining. This one is 30 inches long.
higher speed. Side cuts, as shown, result in a smoother
finish than endmill cuts and also require less polishing.

A round featherweight barrel with muzzle brake attached.

The .250/3000 barrel described in the text with rear sight in place.

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 Barrel Fitting, Chambering, and Shaping

The cost of a new milling machine is prohibitive to many Threading the barrel shank.
people, but sometimes an older machine in good condition
can be found at a fraction of the cost of a new one. This
one can do anything the new one can and costs far less.

Crowning the muzzle. Barrel shank threaded for prototype rifle.

The same barrel fitted to the action.

93

For some reason a number
Quarter rib with a single standing leaf on a .338 Mauser.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Iron Sights and
Quarter Ribs
of hunters and shooters will purchase a new rifle
and the first thing they do with it is proceed to
remove the iron sights. Some of them, if asked,
will tell you that the rifle looks better with a "slick
barrel." Still others tell us that the iron sights tend
to snag on the inside lining of a gun case and on
limbs or brush when carried through the woods.
Several manufacturers take note of these facts and
offer, as an option, rifles without metallic sights.
Perhaps the term metallic is a misnomer since at
least one manufacturer is at present equipping
such rifles with plastic sights. These, combined
with the cheap plastic stocks, magazine
floorplates, and trigger guards also present, lend
credence to the term "Mattel toy," which is used
with quite a bit of sarcasm to describe such rifles.
Certain manufacturers have sucked greedy gun
writers into brainwashing the gullible public into
believing that such questionable practices are
actual improvements, whereas the only
"improvement" is in the manufacturers' profits.
Most of the older, more experienced hunters
and shooters still like the idea of an auxiliary
sighting system in case something happens to the
scope they must depend on with a "slick barrel."
Some of these have experienced the thrill of
shelling out large sums of money and traveling
several miles for a hunting trip, only to discover
their scope has been wrecked somewhere along
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A Muster Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
the line. Without auxiliary sights to fall back on,
their trip is ruined.
A further advantage to having a front sight in
place, even though it may snag when withdrawing
it from the gun case, is that if you lean the gun
against a tree or wall the sight will likely keep it
from slipping and falling over. This alone makes
the sight worthwhile, even if you never use it.
There are those of us who actually believe that
the lines of a custom rifle are improved with the
addition of a machined-steel front sight and
quarter rib, even though it is a time-consuming
process to make and mount them.
It is possible to make a solid front sight ramp
that is integral with the barrel. This requires
quite a bit of extra work since it is necessary to
start with a full-diameter "basic" barrel blank
and turn it to the profile desired. A section at
the muzzle end is left unturned, or it can be
turned to the side profile desired for the sight
ramp. With the barrel in place on the action, a
top centerline is established and marked, and all
the surplus material on each side of the top
strip, which will form the ramp, is milled away.
The barrel is mounted on the milling table with
the breech end held in an indexing fixture or a
dividing head. The muzzle end is held by the
tailstock center. It is rotated, a little at a time,
and repeated cuts are made until the barrel
taper is formed forward to the muzzle. Several
little flats will be left around the circumference
after the milling cuts are made, which requires a
good bit of careful filing to make it match the
round contour of the rest of the barrel.
A dovetail slot must be cut, either crosswise
to accept the readily available dovetailed sight
blades or lengthwise to accept the type that
push in from the front. If you arc not familiar
with cutting dovetails, a bit of advice is offered:
the cutter used should be slightly undersize, as
sold by gunsmith suppliers. This requires two
passes with the mill but allows a tight fit if the
sight dovetail is undersized. A primary cut
should be made to the bottom of the finished cut
with a straight end mill, which will remove the
bulk of the material. The dovetail cutter is then
used to finish the slot. Take particular care to
96
make sure that everything (i.e., milling machine
quill, cutter, and mill vise) are tight and secure
before this cut is made. Dovetail cutters have a
tendency to eat deeper into the bottom of the
slot if not completely secure. I have seen
autoloading pistol slides ruined because of this.
Another, considerably easier, method is to
make up a separate sight ramp that can be
silver-soldered to the barrel. This will be cut
from 3/8- (.3750-) inch material with the profile
formed to the desired shape. The bottom side
must have a concave, or radiused, cut to match
the barrel diameter. This is formed using a ball
cutter of appropriate radius or diameter. These
ball mills, especially when they become slightly
dull, tend to leave a small raised strip down the
center of the cut. This can be removed with a
light pass with a 1/8-inch-diameter end mill or a
round file.
The ramp, with finished side profile, can
now be clamped on the exact top center of the
barrel and silver-soldered in place. A neater,
better-looking job results if a cut is made down
each side of the ramp using the side of the ball
cutter. This reduce the top width to .250-inch
while forming a radiused flare with a slight ledge
around the bottom. A sturdy sight blade can be
formed by reducing the top width to .100-inch
to a depth of .250 inch. This is done instead of
cutting the dovetail and installing a sight blade
as described above.
Still another type that appeals to many is the
band ramp. This one uses the same approximate
size and shape as the others but has a band at
the front that encircles the barrel and adds "a
touch of class," as some put it, to the rifle. The
very best, and most time-consuming, method of
doing this is to drill and ream a hole just slightly
smaller than the barrel diameter down the
length of a chunk of mild steel of sufficient
depth and width to accept it and have enough
material on the top side to form the ramp. The
sides are milled off, leaving a narrow strip along
the center to form the ramp. Material
surrounding the hole is cut away, leaving a band
.750 inch long at the forward end. The outside of
the band must be cut to a constant thickness

surrounding the barrel hole, either by mounting
it on a mandrel and rotating it to repeated short
cuts in the milling machine or shaping it with a
grinder and disc sander. Either method requires
some file work to finish.
Another slightly less complicated method
consists of making a ramp as first described. It is
clamped vertically in the mill vise. Using a 9/16-
inch end mill, the bottom, or concave, side is
cut deeper by .065 inch and lengthwise by .750
inch, ending in a square shoulder, at the forward
end of the ramp. If round tubing is available in
9/16- (.6875-) inch outside diameter and .065-
inch wall thickness, you need a piece .750 inch
long, which is placed on a close-fitting arbor and
the ramp clamped to it. It is welded down the
sides and around the front. When the welds are
dressed flush and smooth, it should closely
resemble the one-piece solid one.
The internal diameter of the band must be
varied to suit the barrel diameter. The band
thickness should be a constant .065 inch in
thickness. The internal diameter must be a tight
fit on the barrel. It can be enlarged slightly by
driving it back on a slightly tapered mandrel.
Peening the band with a smooth-faced hammer
expands it somewhat.
A dovetail is cut crosswise in either of these,
and a hole drilled and tapped for a 1/8-inch set
screw down through the center of the dovetail.
This screw will lock the ramp in place.
The upper surfaces of these ramps can be
matted, checkered, or grooved with close
parallel lines by using metal checkering files.
Barrel band sling swivels can be made using
either of these same methods.
A base to accept varying sizes of open sights
is made from 11-inch-wide by 3/8-inch-thick flat
stock, with its length some 3/4-inch longer than
the sight to be used. The bottom side is
machined to closely fit the barrel using an
appropriate ball cutter. The ends are rounded
slightly for appearance's sake, and the dovetail is
cut to the width of whatever sight you choose. It
is clamped in the desired position atop the
barrel and silver-soldered in place.
A well-made, close-fitting quarter rib is the
Iron Sights and Quarter Ribs
epitome of rear sight bases. If poorly executed or
fitted they look like the junk they are and
degrade the rest of the gun. It is better to leave it
off altogether if this is the ease. A design that
looks as if it belongs on the rifle butts up against
the front edge of the receiver and comes up just
above the top of the forward 6 inches, or more,
in a flat-level plane on top, which is parallel to
the bore. The bottom side fits the contour of the
barrel closely for its entire length.
Ideal for use here is 1/2-inch square key
stock. A template to match the contour of the
barrel is cut from stiff cardboard and trimmed
until it matches the barrel profile closely. This
profile is marked on one side of the key stock
and machined flat to this contour. Ball cutters
in varying diameters are used to machine the
concave surface required for a close fit to the
barrel. The rear end, which mates with the
cylindrical rear portion of the barrel, can be cut
fairly close with a 1 1/8-inch cutter. The curved
taper part can be cut with one of 7/8-inch
diameter, and the straight tapered portion can
be cut with a 3/4-inch cutter. The rib must be
repositioned in the vise several times to make
the cuts parallel to the outer edges. When the
entire length is cut out to match the barrel
diameter fairly close, it should be cheeked for
fit and high spots removed until it lies flush on
the barrel. Spotting compound applied to the
barrel will reveal such high spots when the rib
is put in place and slight pressure is applied
using G clamps.
When satisfied that the fit won't get any
better, the front end is shaped to the contour
shown or whatever else suits you. A hole is
drilled an inch from the rear end and another 2
inches back from the front, using a number 28
drill. These should be on the centerline of the
ramp. It is clamped in position, and the holes
drilled into the barrel just enough to mark their
location. The holes are drilled some .200 inch
deeper with a number 31 drill, and tapped for 6
x 48 screws. Take care not to drill into the bore.
A company with a reputation for building high-
quality rifles sent one to a gun magazine several
years ago for testing and evaluation. After a few
97
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
shots were fired the rib flew off, and it was
revealed that the hole for the single screw
holding the quarter rib in place was drilled
through into the bore. Of course, the magazine
reported the incident, complete with pictures,
which didn't help the company's reputation any.
The top side of the quarter rib is now
machined to the desired height, and the dovetail
is cut. The two screw holes must be
counterbored for the fillister-head screws. The
front screw hole should be counterbored deep
enough for the screw head to go slightly deeper
than the surface. It is underneath the rear sight
and doesn't show. But the rear screw head
should protrude enough above the surface to
allow the screwdriver slot to be removed.
The bottom side of the rib and the
corresponding surface of the barrel are tinned
with a lead-free solder, such as Force 44, that
has a fairly high tensile strength and is not
affected by caustic bluing. When cool, the rib is
put in place on the barrel, and the screws are
98
run up snug. Heat is again applied until the
solder melts, at which point the screws are
tightened as much as possible, drawing both
surfaces together.
There should be no visible crack, or open
seam, along the joint when the solder that
flowed out of the heated joint is cleaned up. If
there is, you have three choices: live with it,
remove the rib and forget it, or do it over.
If it does suit you, the rear screw head is
peened slightly to expand the head enough to
completely fill the counterbore, and the screw
head is dressed flat with the surface. Properly
done, the screw head should be invisible when
matted or checkered over. With two screws and
the sweated joint, this should result in a strong
installation that will remain in place.
Needless to say I'm sure, the flat sides of
these parts should be draw-filed and polished by
hand to keep the sides flat and the corners sharp.
The top surfaces should be dulled to prevent
light reflection by matting or checkering.
Iron Sights and Quarter Ribs

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A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

Quarter rib on .416 Rigby. This one is both serewed and Quarter rib on prototype rifle.
soldered in place, so it will not come off as a result of recoil.

Rear sight mounted in the ramp on the other prototype rifle.

This quarter rib is not for everyone. Found on most high-grade British rifles, it adds class to most custom rifles.

The prototype rifle shown with ramp front sight and matching open rear sight contained in ramp.

100

I first became acquainted
The brake body is turned to size.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Muzzle Brakes
with muzzle brakes just after World War II. Even
though they were touted as a new discovery at the
time, I later found that some had been around for
years, even then. As I remember, one of the first I
ever saw was called a "Pendleton De Kicker."
There were also a "Rex" and a "Saturn." And
George Leonard Herter sold one that, according to
his advertising, would do everything except
answer back when you talked to it. I don't
remember the exact date or even the year, but I
do know that just shortly after the DGM began
delivery of 03A3 rifles to members of the National
Rifle Association for the sum of $14.50 I started
building muzzle brakes.
As with most items made or marketed by more
than one person, muzzle brakes are referred to by
more than one name. Some refer to them as a
muzzle break, as opposed to muzzle brake. Since
a brake is intended to stop or slow something
down, and break means to tear apart or wreck
something, it would seem apparent that the term
muzzle brake should be favored. We certainly
hope nothing "brakes" in the process.
For almost two years I made my living mostly
by remodeling these 03A3 "Springfields," as they
were still called. The .308 Norma Magnum
cartridge came along about this time, followed
shortly thereafter by the .300 Winchester
Magnum. At least two-thirds of the rifles I worked
on were rechambered to one of these calibers. In
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A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
the process I drilled and tapped the rifles for
scope mounting, made and installed new bolt
handles, installed new safeties to clear a scope,
added a muzzle brake, and polished and blued
the finished product. Restocking was left to
others because I didn't have time to do it.
But later when the supply of these rifles
dwindled away, so did the demand for muzzle
brakes. They were largely forgotten, and I went
on to other things.
Then, like a bad penny, a few years ago
muzzle brakes were back, rediscovered as
something new and wonderful. Gunsmiths from
all over the country suddenly discovered or
invented their own versions, and muzzle brakes
were in demand once more.
There is one big difference in the market
though. Back in earlier times muzzle brakes
were usually installed only on rifles with heavy
recoil. Today such are even seen on .22 rimfire
rifles. I have heard of instances where they were
installed on air rifles—and even on paint guns.
Personally, I don't see any purpose for one
except for the Magnum calibers with
uncomfortable recoil: .50 BMG rifles; combat-,
or riot, type shotguns; and large calibers
shooting heavy bullets.
My own design is no better than some,
probably no worse than others. It differs from
some in that it incorporates an enlarged
expansion chamber with a flat wall at the
forward end for the gasses to push against. The
gas exit holes are drilled at right angles to the
bore and in parallel rows spaced equal distances
around the body of the brake.
Some makers do not understand that the
1/2-inch-diametcr, or larger, expansion chamber,
which ends in a flat surface with an exit hole
just larger than the bullet diameter, has
anything to do with recoil reduction. Bore the
inside diameter just larger than the bullet for
the entire length of the brake. Then drill
intersecting gas ports that angle slightly forward,
which supposedly deflects the loud muzzle blast
away from the shooter and adds to the push
against the shooter's shoulder.
Brake construction is begun by cutting a
102
short section of quality round stock to the length
desired and boring a hole slightly smaller than
the bullet diameter through it lengthwise. This
hole is enlarged to the desired diameter to a short
distance behind the forward end, ending with a
square shoulder at the end. A 1/2-inch end mill
chucked in the lathe tailstock is ideal for this.
The inside is bored at the extreme rear to a
diameter that is compatible with the barrel and
threaded with a pitch of 24 or 28 tpi. The outer
end should be bored smooth to the bottom of
the threads for a distance of 1/4 inch. This will
mate with a close-fitting shoulder just behind
the barrel thread and assist in keeping it in line
and parallel to the bore.
The barrel is mounted in the lathe if it will
fit through the headstock spindle and the bore
can be centered fine. Otherwise it must be
removed from the action and placed between
centers. The muzzle end is turned to the correct
diameter and threaded to accept the brake. Note
the smooth shoulder just at the rear of the
thread, which mates with the brake interior. A
close fit is important here.
With the brake threaded in place as tight as
possible, the outside is turned to the desired
diameter, and the muzzle end is finished to the
contour wanted. The exit hole for the bullet
should be bored to just slightly above (.005 to .010
inch) the bullet diameter and polished smooth.
Beginning just forward of the threaded joint
a series of holes are drilled in six straight rows,
spaced at equal distances around the
circumference of the barrel. Each line should
consist of at least four holes of .187 to .250 inch
in diameter. If possible, these should be drilled
using the milling machine. This will assist in
keeping them on center and equally spaced.
Test-firing should show a notable reduction
in recoil.
Some makers think that the exterior of the
brake should be a continuation of the barrel
diameter. Others, including me, opt for a
diameter slightly larger than the barrel at the
thread joint with a rounded corner at the edge. It
is a matter of taste. When finished, the brake
should be colored to match the barrel and action.
 Muzzle Brakes

The inside is bored to size, reamed, and threaded. A muzzle brake used on sniper rifle is efficient and quiet.

This experimental brake was installed on a featherweight The muzzle brake installed and ready for porting.
.30/06. It is quieter than most and very efficient.

Finished muzzle brake as used on a .416 Rigby. Muzzle brake installed on a .338.

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A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

This .50 Browning Machine Gun muzzle brake was Using a muzzle brake on this 12-gauge shotgun did not
efficient—but very loud. increase the noise level.

This .870 Remington 12-gauge with brake installed is no louder than before, and the lack of recoil makes it pleasant
to shoot.

104

Now that the metal work is
Fancy-figured wood of good quality will add to the value
of the finished rifle, if the work is well executed.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Stocks
finished and the parts ready for final polishing
before bluing, it is time to make the stock. To far
too many "stockmakers" making the stock
consists of fitting a semifinished blank to the
metal parts, finish sanding the exterior, and giving
it a finish. In this case, since you have built all the
metal parts to an original design for which no
semifinished stock exists, you must actually
"make" the stock, starting with a rough sawn to
profile blank and progressing from there.
When I first started making stocks World War
II had just begun. No semifinished stocks were
available for the duration of the war, so said E.G.
Bishop and Stoeger Arms Company, both principal
suppliers of such items before the war. In fact, it
wasn't easy to even find a walnut plank or the like
suitable for making a stock. I found a supply
though and made stocks from the block all
through the war and beyond. By the time the
semifinished jobs were available again, I was so set
in the way of making stocks completely that I
simply kept on. Very few stocks that I ever had
anything to do with came from the semifinished
blanks. Now, though, there are several sources of
the semifinished ones available that will make up
into a finished stock, which will equal many
block-stocking efforts. However, you must stick
fairly close to the producer's design because little
extra wood is left for redesigning.
Whatever the drawbacks of either method, in
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A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
this case the stock is going to require complete
inletting and shaping from the block, which is
appropriately called block stocking.
For those with little or no experience in
stock making there is an alternative. The
inletting can be roughed out slightly oversize in
a cheap piece of wood and the barrel and action
glass bedded into it. The outside is then shaped
to the best of your ability and finish-sanded.
This will be used as a pattern that can be sent to
one of several companies that machine such
blanks to order. Included should be the best
piece of wood you can afford. The company will
return to you a semifinished blank that will
require little work to complete the stock. In fact,
a large percentage of the custom stock makers
working today use this same method, strictly as
a labor-saving device.
Whatever method you choose, if you feel
capable of finishing the stock as it should be, use
the best piece of wood available and affordable.
Too much labor is expended in making the stock
to be wasted on a cheap, plain piece of wood.
Several kinds of wood are suitable for gun
stocks, including maple, myrtle cherry,
mesquite, and several types of walnut. Walnut
comes in American (black), claro, and several
different names for the wood from the thin-
shelled trees that grow mostly in California.
English, French, Bastogne, and Circassian are
some of the names applied to these blanks, even
though it not unknown for more than one type
to be cut from the same tree. Of all the kinds
available, I prefer the thin-shelled walnut—
regardless of the name attached. This wood is
usually harder and denser than the other types,
and holds finer checkering and requires less
finish than the softer woods. Assuming your
stock blank includes enough wood to allow some
leeway in positioning the stock in relation to the
grain, the stock should be laid out so that the
grain through the grip runs parallel to the action
upper tang, and follows an angle that allows the
grain through the buttstock to run parallel to the
lower line of the buttstock all the way to the
action mortise. No cross-grain or any grain that
slopes out in the grip area should be allowed. If
106
present, it is quite likely to break. Likewise, no
burl figure should be present in this area.
It is desirable that the grain in the fore-end
run slightly uphill because the fore-end will have
little or no tendency to warp away from the
barrel. If the wood is properly dried, it will have
less tendency to warp than a wet one, but, even
so, it may warp some. Except for burl walnut,
which can warp in several directions at the same
time, it should be a fairly simple matter to
determine the direction the stock should most
likely take in its warping process, since the
wood will almost always warp toward the bark.
Burl walnut, with its tendency to check and
erratic warpage patterns, should be confined to
the buttstock with the grain at the toe of the
stock running parallel to the bottom stock line
as closely as possible. This is desirable to
prevent the toe of the stock from cracking or
breaking off, as may happen if the grain slopes
downward toward the front at this point.
It is helpful to draw and cut out a full-sized
cardboard pattern of the stock profile that is
pleasing to you. The most attractive stock will
have the bottom line of the fore-end run in a
straight line from the fore-end tip back to the
rear end of the magazine, where it will begin a
parabolic curve that increases toward the
bottom of the curve, running from the end of the
trigger guard to the forward edge of the grip. The
grip cap should sit at slightly more than a right
angle (approximately 100 degrees), and the
front edge should measure from 3 1/4 to 3 1/2
inches from the center of the trigger to the front
edge of the grip cap.
The top and bottom lines of the buttstock
should be straight with a nearly level comb line
running forward from the buttplate to the comb
nose, which should drop in a fairly sharp curve to
form the point of the comb. The stock will usually
look best if the center of the grip is in a direct
vertical line to the point of the comb. The bottom
line of the buttstock should extend in a straight
line from the lower edge, or toe, of the buttplate to
just above the rear edge of the grip cap. If
projected forward this line should intersect the
bottom side of the stock just at the rear of the grip.

One side of the blank should be dressed flat,
as well as the top line of the stock. 1 usually do
this with a large-diameter shell mill mounted in
the milling machine. It is a simple matter to
obtain absolutely flat and square surfaces using
this method. It is also a common practice to saw
the stock to profile using a band saw. However,
straighter lines are probable if a skill-type power
saw is used. The grip and comb curves can't be
cut using such a saw but are easily formed using
the milling machine, a power sanding drum, or
even a wood rasp. For the inexperienced
gunsmith, it is a good idea to leave an extra
quarter inch of wood on the bottom of the fore-
end back to the grip. This will provide extra
wood so that if mistakes or slips are made in the
barrel and receiver inletting, the top can be
dressed off and the inletting deepened and
refitted to (one hopes) allow any slips or
oversized cuts to be obliterated.
A centerline should be scribed along both
the top and bottom of the stock parallel to the
flat side of the blank. All inletting and shaping
cuts will be laid out centered on these lines.
Actual inletting is begun by laying out the
outline of the magazine box on the bottom of
the stock. Most of the wood to be removed can
be cut out with a small end mill in the milling
maehine or by drilling intersecting holes around
the perimeter of the outline drawn on the stock.
The cavity thus formed is finished by removing
just enough material (using files, rasps, and
chisels) to allow the box to slip in place. The
front and rear of the opening should fit snug
against the box, especially on calibers with
heavy recoil, but the sides should have just a
small amount of clearance. If such clearance is
not provided and the stock wood shrinks, the
stock may very well split.
With the magazine bottoming on the
upper side of the front tang and trigger guard,
the outline of these are scribed or drawn
around. Wood is removed to allow the entire
assembly to fit into the stock. The action
screw holes are drilled through the tang
holes. Note that, at this point, the magazine
assembly still is not in deeply enough by
Stocks
about 1/4 inch. After the barrel and receiver
and barrel are inlet satisfactorily, it will be let
in to the proper depth.
You are now ready to inlet the barrel and
receiver. Before beginning, however, you should
make up a pair of guide pins. These will screw
into the action screw holes and serve to keep
the assembly in a straight line as it is inletted
down into the wood. These are simply a couple
of steel rods some 3 inches long and 1/4 inch in
diameter, threaded on one end with 28 tpi. The
easiest way to obtain these is to buy a couple of
bolts of this size and saw the heads off.
With the magazine assembly in place and
the guide screws installed, the assembly is
pushed in place on top of the stock. The recoil
lug can be located and marked simply by
scribing around it. With the metal removed, it is
a simple matter to cut the mortise to depth in
the milling machine and squaring the ends with
a small chisel. It must fit closely. This cut will
allow the receiver to almost hit the wood, as well
as allowing undersized cutting of both the barrel
and action to be marked on the stock. Wood
inside these lines is most easily and quickly
removed using a ball cutter in the milling
machine. Of course, it can be done with chisels,
but this is much slower. The assembly is again
put in place and now should go considerably
deeper into the wood. The outline is again
marked and wood removed just to the inside
perimeter of the outline. It will require a bit of
chisel work to cut the square corners at the
front of the receiver.
This process is repeated until the assembly
fits in place almost to half depth. The inletting
can be cut to full depth using various sizes of
milling cutters, but the sides should be finished
using sharp chisels and perhaps a barrel rasp.
All surfaces that contact the wood should be
coated with some sort of spotting compound
(lipstick works well for this) and the assembly
pressed into the stock. High spots, which
prevent the assembly from going in to full depth,
are indicated by marks from the spotting
compound. Shave off all the colored spots,
spread the lipstick over the surface, and install it
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A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
again. Continue to shave, spot, and shave until
the assembly makes eontaet with the bottom of
the inletting. The assembly should now fit
closely into the wood without any unsightly gaps
or chipped places.
It is a good idea to induce a little bit of
upward pressure from the fore-end front end
against the barrel. This is done by relieving the
barrel channel from a point just forward of the
receiver to within an inch of the fore-end tip.
The top edge of the barrel channel should be left
alone for appearance's sake. It is possible to
obtain the same result by gluing a short, thin
strip of wood in place just behind the fore-end
tip. Either method will result in a single-point
bearing of the forearm against the barrel, which
should dampen vibration and sometimes
increase accuracy.
A slot to accommodate the trigger must be
cut, as well as clearance for the bolt stop and
ejector. It is a simple matter to measure the
location of these relative to the action and
transfer them to the stock.
The guide screws are removed from the
action, and the proper action screws are
installed. With the screws tight the receiver and
magazine should almost, but not quite, touch. A
gap of approximately .050 inch should remain.
In the event that your inletting job has gaps,
gashes, or cracks that make it look shoddy,
black dye can be added to glass bedding material
and be used to fill the gaps or, preferably, bed
the entire barrel/action assembly since it is
likely that if flaws exist on the surface they are
also present underneath. The result won't be
noticeable and is a means of camouflaging flaws.
The black-dyed material should only be used
where it contacts metal.
The bottom line of the forearm back through
the magazine should be cut in a straight line to
the rear of the magazine, preferably machined
off with the milling machine. The grip cap and
buttplate are secured in place. These can be of
any material you choose. I am somewhat
conservative and favor the Neidner-type steel
grip caps and buttplates over those made of
plastic or other materials. I detest colored
10S
spacers between them. However, this is your
project, so use whatever suits you.
The actual shaping can now begin. Quite a
bit of the surplus wood can be removed with the
milling machine. The fore-end should have
straight sides, at both top and bottom and on
the sides. The thickest part will be some 1/2
inch forward of the rear end of the magazine
and taper forward to the fore-end tip.
It should be slightly pear-shaped in cross
section and almost flat on the bottom. An almost
flat scalloped cut at both ends of the magazine
and on both sides will cause the stock to appear
slimmer without sacrificing strength.
The grip should be just slightly wider at the
grip cap than at the small of the grip, with
straight sides blending into the stock lines. Much
has been written about the advantages of a
"Wundhammer swell," where a slight swell, or
bulge, is left on the palm side of the grip. This was
named after its originator, a stock and furniture
maker named Louis Wundhammer, and touted
early on by writers who mostly never saw one. I
have never found any advantage to this swell.
If a cheekpiece is used, it should be no wider
at the top than the comb thickness. The bottom
rear edge should be of ample thickness to
actually support the cheek and taper forward to
blend into the grip. It should also be nearly flat.
A dished, or concave, cheekpiece may feel
comfortable, but when the gun is fired and this
form-fitting cheekpiece recoils back into the
shooter's face, it loses its comfort. The
cheekpiece needs to be no bigger than the area
that contacts the cheek. The little flat line cut
around the outside perimeter and called by
several names (e.g., sculptured, ghosted) can be
started with a single-line checkering tool and
finished to depth with the stoned smooth corner
of a flat file.
With the stock shaped to suit you, sanding is
now in order. Ordinary sandpaper is a waste of
time and money. Garnet paper of preferably 50
grit is used first, followed by progressively finer
grits until you reach 150 grit. From then on the
black paper known as "wet or dry" should be
used, finishing with a final sanding with 400 grit.

Do not try to simply wrap the sandpaper around
your fingers. Use flat and curved blocks with the
paper wrapped around them. Sharp edges such
as the cheekpiece perimeter should be kept
sharp and flat. All sanding must be done with
the grain; sanding across the grain results in
scratches, which are hard to remove.
When you decide the wood is as smooth as
you can get it, it should be dampened all over
with water and dried over a hot surface. This
will raise the grain, causing the stock to look
like it has grown whiskers. Then, using the 400-
grit paper, sand the wood smooth again. This
process is repeated until the surface remains
smooth after drying. If this is not done, these
same whiskers may show up again after the
finish is applied.
A number of stock finishes are available, any
of which are satisfactory. One called Tru-Oil is
available more or less universally and will do a
beautiful job if applied properly.
It has been said that three coats are
sufficient. Actually the first three coats should be
Stocks
applied and then sanded back to the wood. This
will only partially fill the pores, and the process
must be repeated until the grain is filled, leaving
the surface smooth and level. Another six or
more coats are applied without sanding between
coats. These are allowed to dry thoroughly. The
finish is then rubbed down with rubbing
compound, and a coat of hard automobile wax is
applied, allowed to dry, and polished with a soft
cloth. This will result in a hard, tough, high-gloss
finish, which will show off fancy grain far better
than a dull finish would.
If checkering is intended the checkering
pattern should be laid out, on the stock, after the
first filler coats, and no more finish applied inside
the perimeter of the pattern. The checkering can
be cut with less effort, and the cutters will last
longer if this procedure is followed.
Such magazines as Guns and the custom-
rifle section of the Gun Digest usually contain
pictures of some of the finest custom rifles in
the world and can give valuable insight into
what a stock should look like.
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A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

Grain layout is important. The top stock has excellent layout; the lower would have been better if the grain was parallel
to the bottom stock line.

Straight lines are easier to cut by using a power saw, as The comb nose curve is formed with a ball cutter.
shown.

110
 Stocks

The barreled action in position on stock blank. Screw hole positions are located and marked.

Most of the action inletting can be done with a ball cutter. Barrel channel can be inletted just slightly undersize by
using a smaller ball cutter.

Ill
A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

Magazine and trigger guard are inlet with mill and finished with files and chisels. Screw holes are marked through
openings in tangs.

Quite a bit of the outside shaping ean be done with a The stock inletting is finished. After buttplate and grip
milling machine using various cutters. installation, it will be ready for shaping and sanding.

112
The cheekpiece should be no longer than required to support the cheek with full contact.

Stock lines should be kept as straight as possible.

Finished stock: note that all straight lines are actually straight and the grip meets the stock line in a graceful curve.

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Finished stock: note that all straight lines are actually straight and the grip meets the stock line in a graceful curve.

Bottom view of stock showing the scallop, or fillet, just above the trigger guard, which allows a trimmer stock.

The finished rifle, as described in the text and shown in the drawings.

114

Years ago, the practice of
A checkering cradle of sorts. These cradles are available
cheap. Start with one of these and then, after deciding
what you need, build one to suit you.
G HAPTER FIFTEEN
Checkering
cutting two sets of parallel lines closely spaced and
crossing each other at an angle was usually called
checking. In recent years common usage has
evolved the term into checkering. Since this is a
modern book, written some 50 years later, the
term checkering will be the standard.
Good checkering can add to both the looks
and the value of a custom- or shop-made stock.
(It should—it usually took me at least 40 hours to
do a checkering pattern.) By the same token, a
poorly executed job can make an otherwise good
stock look like a piece of junk. As I have related in
the past, when I was young I once reluctantly
showed one of my own early efforts to one of this
country's premier stock makers, whose first
comment was, "That would be a pretty good stock,
kid, if you hadn't fucked up the checkering." But
he took pity on me; he gave me some good tools
and showed me how to use them and how to lay
out a pattern. It wasn't long before my checkering
had improved quite a bit.
In my area there is a local gunsmith who does
an excellent job of finishing and fitting a stock, but
he puts on checkering as an afterthought. He tries
to hold the stock in one hand and cut the
checkering with an electric checkering tool.
Frankly, this makes an otherwise attractive stock
look terrible. But he works cheap, and most of his
customers don't know the difference, so he gets
away with it.
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A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
What I have been building up to and trying
to say is, if you don't have the expertise to do a
good job, it is better to leave the checkering off,
at least until you gain some experience.
For those who would like to learn, I suggest
you practice first on an old factory stock that
only had the eheckering started and the lines
barely spaced when it came from the factory.
Try going over one of these with a single-line "V"
tool several times in both directions. Deepen
them until the diamonds are pointed up; then
deepen and recut the border. This practice gives
you valuable experience, and you won't ruin a
good stock if you mess it up. It's possible that
you may do a good job on your first attempt,
and the factory stock will look better than ever.
Next, you should obtain a cheap stock that
has no checkering and try to lay out and execute
a checkering job on it. A discarded military stock
will do for this. If possible you should examine
the checkering on a first-class custom stock—the
entire stock for that matter—just to see what you
should strive for. Don't use factory stocks as
examples. Very few of these have eheckering that
is better than mediocre.
If you decide to take up checkering
seriously, you will need several tools. One of the
most important is a cradle for holding the stock.
Some people can do a fair job while holding the
stock on their knees. I've done it myself. But the
stock should be rotated as the cutter goes
around curves to enable the cutter to be held
perpendicular to the work at all times. A more
elaborate cradle can be built in time, but for the
first few jobs a simple cradle as sold by gunsmith
supply houses will suffice It consists simply of a
2 x 4 board with a bracket at each end to
support the stock and is intended to be bolted to
a bench or held in a vise.
Also required are a few checkering tools. You
can get by, barely, with just two: a single-line
"V" cutter and a two- or three-line cutter. The
"V" cutter is used to lay out the checkering
pattern and to deepen and point up the spaced
lines that are cut with the two- or three-line
cutter. These two are the bare minimum; I
suggest that you also obtain a bordering tool that
116
will cut a two-line border around the pattern,
which will hide the slips and run-overs that are
bound to occur while you are learning. A small
60-degree "V" chisel is nice to have to form
sharp curves and finish the very short lines
formed at the very end of some point patterns,
which are hard to cut with the regular cutters.
Little, short single-line tools that are intended to
serve the same purpose are also available.
Several brands of ready-made tools have
been on the market for the last several years, so
you don't have to make your own. Of these, I
prefer the Dem Bart brand, which is available
with single-, two-, and three-line cutters, as well
as border-cutting tools, and features
interchangeable cutters that are replaceable in
the same tool handle. Any practical line spacing
is available from 16 to 32 lines per inch, as well
as skip-line cutters for French checkering.
These are also useful in laying out ribbons
through fancy checkering jobs.
Such ready-made tools are satisfactory
enough that I quit trying to make my own
immediately after using some. When I first tried
checkering, I tried to make spacers from
umbrella ribs, as recommended by Clyde Baker
in a gunsmithing book, and to use a small three-
cornered file to deepen the lines. It looked about
like it would have if it had been cut with a
pocket knife. How I wish ready-made tools had
been available then.
One more item should be made up before
you start: a pattern made from plastic or
cardboard for laying out the diamonds. Most
people feel that the most attractive proportion
for the diamonds is 3 to 1, which means it is
three times as long as it is wide. Diamonds
shorter than this look crude and should be
avoided. Longer diamonds may look good to
some people but are hard to cut and are likely to
chip out on softer wood.
While you are at it, make another half-
diamond long enough for the flat end to reach
across both the receiver and trigger guard. This
one can be helpful in locating both sides of the
pattern in identical positions on both sides of
the stock.

Several straight-edged, thin plastic strips in
various widths are handy to have when
projecting straight lines around long, curved
surfaces. And a couple that will just fit inside the
trigger guard and magazine tang openings are
helpful when centering the pattern on both the
forearm and grip. A few templates for curved
patterns, such as a fleur de lis, are also useful.
Choosing a checkering pattern is purely a
matter of personal taste. There are almost as
many patterns in existence as there are people
doing checkering. While many patterns are
similar, few are identical. Mostly patterns run in
curved and scroll outline and straight-line
patterns. While the straight-line pattern, or
point pattern as it is commonly known, may
appear the simplest to apply, with its lines
forming its outline into the same diamond shape
as the small single diamonds that make up the
pattern, in reality it can easily become the most
difficult to execute. The tiny individual
diamonds must be cut and deepened without
run-overs clear up to the very tips of the pattern
points. The straight lines that make up the
outline can easily be checked for straightness,
while a curved or irregular-shaped edge pattern
can only be cheeked by observation. So,
regardless of which type you prefer, you should
begin your first effort with an irregular-shaped
border design. If you absolutely must have a
point pattern, at least use a design where a
larger diamond forms the outline at the top and
bottom of the pattern. This will avoid the sharp
points that require the extremely short lines
mentioned before.
It has been stated elsewhere that if slips,
nicks, and run-overs are present, a two- or
three-line border can be cut around the outer
edge, effectively camouflaging the errors. It
certainly won't add to the appearance of the
stock to cut borders such as this around curved
patterns. And it will be obvious to anyone with
any knowledge of checkering just what the
reason for such a border is. On the other hand,
if such nicks or run-overs occur in a straight-
line pattern, another line or two can be cut and
the checkering extended to the edge, effectively
Checkering
removing the mistakes that, if not repeated in
this operation, will be undetectable. If this is
required on one edge or side of the patterns, it
should be duplicated on the other side in order
for both to match.
Next to be arrived at is the spacing of the
lines that make up the pattern. Beginners will do
well to start with 16- or 18-line spacing. You
should wait to tackle narrower spacing until you
become more experienced. Cheap soft wood,
such as that found in military stocks and the
lower-priced grades of the semifinished stocks,
usually won't break off if spaced too closely.
Actually, the 16-line checkering gives a
maximum high-friction grip and is
recommended for use on target stocks and the
like even though it is somewhat crude in
appearance, regardless of the quality of wood
used. On the other hand, about 50 percent of
the expensive high-grade look of the stock is due
to the presence of fine checkering. If you are
using a highly figured, dense chunk of wood and
feel comfortable doing it, 24-to-32-line
checkering, when well done, certainly adds to
the appearance of the gun. Take comfort in the
fact that if you mess it up, you can always sand
it off and start over. I assume that you are aware
that the term line as used in 16-line or 20-line
means that the finished checkering will have
that many lines in an inch of the finished work.
The first and high important step is to lay
out the design to be applied. The stock should
be mounted in the checkering cradle and the
pattern laid out using a soft pencil. Hard pencils
leave marks in the wood that are hard to
remove later.
Pick a pattern that blends in with the
contours of your particular stock. Try for one
that is not too complicated for your early efforts.
The well-experienced artist can run patterns
completely over the top of the grip and across
and around the forearm and have them match
on both sides of the stock, but for the beginner
such work is almost impossible. Straight lines
tend to wander off on the curves and spread out
as they go around. Then, when they approach
the edge, they tend to crowd together. This is
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A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
caused by not keeping the spacing tool
perpendicular to the surface of the stock as it
goes around. When the beginner attempts such,
the faults get worse with every line cut, and the
continuous pattern that was supposed to wrap
around the stock in straight lines wanders off to
who knows where and looks far worse than it
would if never started. Get plenty of practice
before attempting this.
For the beginner the pattern should consist
of two grip panels, one on each side, with an
open, smooth area along the top center of the
grip and the forearm. It should be a two-piece
pattern with an open area along the bottom and
the end contours matching those of the grip.
Both sides of the pattern should match. Gut
a paper pattern and lay it on the stock, trimming
it until it looks right. You can then draw around
the pattern lightly with a pencil. This will fairly
well establish the locations of the front, bottom,
and upper and rear lines of the grip pattern. Lay
the half-diamond on the pattern and mark on
the template the points where it intersects the
upper and lower tangs. Mark on the stock the
point where the template intersects the rear
line. Turn the stock over and again draw the
outline around the pattern. Measure up from the
bottom line along the rear to the mark on the
first side and mark this side at the same point.
Place the point of the half diamond even with
this mark and adjust this up and down at the
front until the tang marks line up with the tangs.
This should locate the master lines in the same
place on both sides. Mark along these lines
lightly. Then, using a flexible straight edge, mark
them in firmly and cut them lightly, as well as
around the border, with the single-line tool.
The fore-end pattern is done the same way.
Draw two lines of the same length on the bottom
118
of the fore-end 1/2 inch away from and parallel
to the centerline. Another straight line is drawn
on each side about 1/4 inch below the top line of
the stock. The half-diamond is again put in
place, and the master lines are drawn.
Now you can start the actual checkering.
Place one of teeth of the spacing tool in one of
the master lines and work it back and forth until
the line is cut the entire distance between the
border lines. Don't try to cut the lines to full
depth on this first pass; you are simply spacing
the lines inside the pattern. Gut each line to its
full length right up to the lightly cut border and
stop. If the tool jumps the track, due mainly to
hard or soft spots in the wood, stop and
straighten it up with the "V" tool before
proceeding. If you don't, it will be copied and
likely get worse with each succeeding line.
When both master lines have been paralleled
on each side with spacing lines to the outside
edges of the pattern, you can start using the "V"
tool to deepen the lines and point up the
diamonds. Go over each line carefully several
times in both directions until the diamonds are
all brought to sharp points. When using cutters
such as the Dem Bart, the spacing tools can be
used to partly deepen the lines, especially by
using the three-line cutter, and will aid in
keeping the diamonds uniform.
The outline, or border, should be cut to
the same depth as the checkering and should
do away with most shallow nicks in the
outline. If deeper nicks or run-overs are still
present, the bordering tool should be used to
cut a two-line border.
When satisfied that you can't improve on it,
the checkering should be brushed out thoroughly
with a toothbrush to remove any dust present
and given a single thin coat of Tru-Oil.
Checkering

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120
Checkering

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122
Checkering

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A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

124
 Checkering

The stock is in place and ready to checker.

There is no such thing as too many tools. These are only a few of the ones I have collected over the years.

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A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

From left: a veining or "V" tool, useful for cutting short
curves; a skip line tool, used to lay out narrow ribbons and
in Freneh checkering; three-line spacer, purchased from
Stoeger more than 50 years ago; and a short cutter, handy
to cut the short lines at the ends and corners of patterns.
Cradle and stock in position to allow easy access to the
forearm. One hand rotates the stock while the other
operates the checkering tool.

The minimum number of tools required to checker a
stock. At top is a wood block with a wood screw through
it. The edge is ground and polished to a sharp surface.
Straight lines can be drawn on the top fore-end outline
using this.
A 24-line per inch point pattern can be most attractive. In
ease of run-overs, another line can be added. This is not
possible with curved borders.

126
 Checkering

Lines must be straight and parallel throughout the pattern. Diamonds must also be the same size throughout.

The fleur-de-lis pattern looks good, but it should not be attempted until simpler patterns have been mastered. Lines
should maintain the same direction after passing around the fleur.

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A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

An additional fleur, down the center of the grip, allows a break in the "over the top" pattern, making it easier to
maintain straight lines.

A 24-line per inch point pattern on a big .416 Rigby. This Top view, showing continuous pattern. Master lines are
pattern runs over the grip in one continuous pattern. laid out using the centerline of the grip. Care must be
taken to hold the tool perpendicular to the work to keep
lines from spreading.

128
 Checkering

Right side of fleur pattern. Note that lines are still parallel after interruption. Lines must not be allowed to spread,
whieh eontributes to this.

Full-length view of stock showing both grip and forearm checkering. Note that both match closely.

Right side of .416 Rigby stock. This one has a narrow border around the pointed portion of the checkering. It was not
put there to hide run-overs.

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A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

Another "over the top" pattern. This is the .250-3000 rifle described in the text. Note the M70-type safety.

Bottom view of fleur-de-lis pattern. Angled lines at the rear eenter form the master lines, which wrap completely
around the bottom of forearm.

Side view of same pattern. Note the crossbolts, which help prevent splitting on rifles of heavy recoil.

130
 Checkering

A .416 forearm showing a diamond ribbon included inside the pattern. This breaks up the long lines that would be
required otherwise. The center diamond is formed first, with side panels added.

Another view shows how the large diamond wraps around the forearm. Lines must meet at ribbon edges and continue
in the same directions as though no break existed.

Point pattern as applied to the prototype rifle in this book.

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A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

Full-length view of the same stoek. Pattern wraps eompletely around the bottom of the forearm.

Bottom view of a point pattern. Master lines start on rear of the eenterline. This pattern is not for a beginner.

Full-length view of forearm pattern shown above.

132
 CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Buttplates

Several years ago, even cheap guns came with metal buttplates. Although
these were usually made of steel, eventually they
evolved into aluminum, which was lighter in
weight, they said. Buttplates also became lighter
in color when the anodizing or paint wore off.
Gradually most buttplates were replaced with
plastic. Much has been said about the advantages
of using plastic, but the biggest advantage is in the
cost of manufacture. Rubber buttplates and recoil
pads now come as standard equipment on some of
the higher-priced rifles.
Whether you buy it or make it, a top-quality,
one-of-a-kind rifle—such as we are building
here—should have a slightly curved steel buttplate
for the stock to look and feel right. On rifles with
severe recoil, a rubber recoil pad can be used, but
if so, it should be one with solid walls and should
not have any off-colored stripes or spacers
running through it. The color should match that of
the grip cap, which should match that of the fore-
end tip, if one is used.
Up until a few years ago there was a well-
finished and -shaped checkered steel buttplate
(known as a Neidner steel buttplate) available
from several sources. A matching grip cap was also
available. These appeared to be stampings and
were lightweight and nicely finished and sold at a
very reasonable price. Herter's Inc. sold a similar
steel buttplate and grip cap that were fairly
attractive and finished, but they were ruined (for a

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A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
real conservative like me) by having a cheap-
looking little shield stamped in the middle with
checkering around it. The shield ruined it for
many of us. There was a way to salvage it,
however. We milled the inside away, leaving a
steel ribbon some 5/16-inch-wide around the
outside plus room for four screw holes. This
made what is known as a skeleton buttplate,
which was mostly standard on high-grade double
shotguns (e.g., Parker) and on many deluxe
sporting rifles.
Suddenly these were no longer available.
Herter's went out of business, and the Neidner
was apparently discontinued. When the existing
supply was exhausted, there were no more. A
few custom gunsmiths offered versions of these
at a considerably higher (but well worth it)
price. It was either buy these or make your own.
I chose the latter course.
It should be noted that the Neidner caps and
plates again became available a few years later.
However, instead of the lightweight stamped
items as made in the past, they were now
investment castings that are thicker, heavier,
and nowhere near as well finished. I continued
to make my own.
For large-production runs of these, it would
be wise to make up a set of dies that could be
stamped and formed quickly. But for the home
shop, which would require only a dozen or so per
year, this would be impractical. The method I
used was time-consuming, but the end result was
the same. I say "was" because, as I have stated
before, I am no longer able to do any gun work.
A form block is made up in the same shape
and contour as the butt end of your proposed
stock. This should be made from extrahard
wood, such as cherry, oak, and ash. Black
walnut can be used, but it won't last as long. It
should be long enough to allow mounting solidly
in the vise.
A sheet-metal blank of the size and shape
required is cut from 14-gauge material, and the
screw holes are drilled and countersunk. The
blank is put in place on the form block, and the
upper screw is installed. A light ball-peen
hammer with the flat (peen) end ground and
134
polished to a slight convex shape is used, with
light blows, to form the rounded heel contour
and the slight curve between the screw holes.
The lower screw is installed, and the exact
contour is formed using light hammer blows. If
care is used, very little deformation or very few
dings from the hammer will be present. A brass
hammer would be useful here. The outer surface
and edges are finished smooth with a drum or
disc sander and polished as described for the
other metal parts. It can be colored by bluing or
case-hardening, or left bright.
Skeleton buttplates and grip caps are made in
the same fashion, with the inside machined out
similar to the patterns shown here. A slight
amount of draft around the inside edges makes
fitting easier. These are installed by removing
wood around the outer edges until the plate or cap
fits over the inner wood portion closely with the
surface flush with the wood. The exposed wood
portion can be finished smooth or checkered.
Grip caps can be made by forming a slight
dish to the interior and mounted with a center
screw. If a skeleton type is required, a screw is
used at the front and rear. These can also be
made from hardwood, preferably ebony if used
with a black steel buttplate. Other wood can be
dyed or stained black if desired.
Both buttplates and grip caps similar to
these, and of several other designs, are available
from gunsmith supply houses.
Leather-covered recoil pads are sometimes
desirable. These are often found on the very
best British guns, among others. Well done,
without wrinkles or seams, they will add class to
the gun. Sloppily done, they look horrible.
In practice, the pad is shaped to fit flush
with the buttstock. Just slightly (the thickness of
the leather) smaller if possible. The screw holes
are drilled to fit over 1/4-inch locating pins
made from dowel rod, which is installed in
corresponding holes in the end of the stock.
A wood block of an inch or more in
thickness is shaped to the same size and
contour as the recoil pad and located against it
with the same size pins.
Extrathin leather (goatskin works well for

this) is soaked in water until pliable and
stretched over both the pad and block. When
stretched and molded to fit over the pad without
wrinkles, the area overlapping the wood block is
fastened to it using small nails or tacks.
When thoroughly dry, the nails and wood
block are removed, and the leather cover is
cemented to the edges of the pad base. When
the cement has dried, the leather is carefully
trimmed flush with the pad face. An X-acto knife
Buttplates
works well for this. The pad is secured to the
stock, with the locating dowels in place, using a
thin coat of epoxy cement, which must not be
allowed to bleed out around the edges.
Please consider that my own conservative
tastes were acquired through many years of
observation of what others considered the very
best. If such does not appeal to you, then by all
means, change whatever part you don't like to
suit yourself.
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136
 Buttplates

End view of form block. Buttplate blank is cut from sheet metal. Shown is cardboard
pattern, flat blank and formed blank, ready for polishing.

The face of the hammer should be slightly rounded and The form block is shaped to the desired contour using
polished smooth. dense hard wood. Walnut was used here.

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A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

The final forming is done using light hammer blows. Shown here is a finished skeleton buttplate (left) with a
finished solid plate, whieh has a case-hardened finish.

A blank for a skeleton buttplate is made by removing The blank is held in place against the form block by an
inside material. upper screw.

138
 Buttplates

The heel (upper end) of the plate is formed with only the When the forming is almost completed, the lower screw is
upper serew in place. It is shown here partially formed. installed.

Dowels must be used to locate the leather-covered pad, The pad in place on the stock. It must be wrinkle free to
which must be cemented in place. be acceptable.

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A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

The left side of the stock with leather-covered pad.

Ebony grip cap in place on the stock.

140
 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Heat Treatment

Regardless of the material used, some of the component parts described here
will require heat treatment. In part, this is to
reduce any tendency to bulge, stretch, or
otherwise distort, but also to inhibit any tendency
to batter, upset, or wear excessively.
All parts of the action should be installed and
fitted until the desired functioning is achieved. The
parts should be polished almost to the desired final
finish. They will need a final polishing with the finer
grades of paper or buffing compound before bluing.
The bolt and receiver, if made from 4140 or
4340 as recommended, should first be normalized
by heating to 1,700°F and allowed to air-cool.
They are then heated to between 1,550° and
1,600°F and quenched in oil, at which point they
will be almost as hard as glass and also brittle.
After cooling, all traces of oil are removed, and
the part is again heated, this time to a temperature
of 800°F if made from 4140. This draws the temper
to a hardness of 38 on the Rockwell G scale. It now
has a tensile strength of 180,000 pounds per
square inch (psi) and a shear strength of 135,000
psi. If 4340 material is used, the same normalizing
temperature of 1,700°F is used. However, this time
the hardening temperature is slightly lower at
1,500° to 1,550°, and the draw temperature should
be 1,000°. This results in the same RG38 hardness
with a tensile strength of 178,000 and a shear
strength of 156,000 psi. This is far more than
required for a rifle action.
The bolt sleeve, cocking piece, and safety
should receive the same treatment since they are
made from the same material. Because these parts

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are small enough to be heated evenly with the
torch, they can be processed in the same way as
the other small parts.
The bolt and receiver especially must be
processed by a professional shop, with the
equipment and knowledge to do it right. I have
seen, and had experience with, a number of small
shops that obtained a small furnace and became
instant experts on all phases of heat treatment.
Many of these can probably do all right on other
things but can easily ruin gun parts.
One such individual, who talks a better game
than he practices, enticed me into letting him
do my heat treating. I took several shotgun bolts
to him with written instructions on how it was
to be done. He assured me that he knew exactly
what I wanted and how to do it.
When I returned to pick up the parts he
went into a lengthy description of how he had
packed the insides and pin holes with steel wool
to prevent scale and how he had used a case-
hardening method that I had never heard of.
This, he said, was far superior to the procedure I
had asked for. He then proceeded to charge me
almost twice as much as the heat-treating
company I had been using.
After a final polishing of the parts, the guns
were assembled and test-fired. The first one
lasted for three shots before one of the bolt lugs
broke off. The second let go on the first round. I
quit shooting at this and took them back to the
shop. After disassembling them I laid one of the
broken bolts on my anvil and hit it with a
hammer. It shattered like glass. When I
confronted the "expert" with this, he admitted
that he has used a process for low-carbon steel
and was unaware that it would overharden the
alloy steel to such brittleness.
Another self-proclaimed expert, this time a knife
maker in a nearby town, obtained a kiln intended for
baking ceramics. He insisted that he had a state-of-
the-art operation and could take care of any heat
treatment I needed done. On this one particular day
I had two .50-caliber sniper-type rifles completed and
needed the bolts and barrel extensions heat-treated
rather quickly. I went to his shop and told him what I
needed. As it turned out he could do it immediately,
and he quickly fired up his furnace. It didn't take
long to reach the required temperature, and I asked
142
him to let the parts soak for a little while to ensure an
even temperature throughout. He complied with this.
However, he removed a basket containing all four
parts and placed them on the side of his furnace. He
picked one and quenched it in a litde container of
oil, which immediately began boiling. When he
removed it from the oil it was still glowing a dull red.
This one was followed, one at a time, by the other
three, which had cooled to a point where the process
was valueless. I waited until they had cooled some
more and dunked them in water. They were softer
than when I had taken them in.
After this I went back to the real experts that
I had been using before.
The moral of this is to teach you that a loud
mouth doesn't necessarily guarantee knowledge. Be
sure your people know what they are doing before
you turn them loose on something as important as
gun parts. You may have your parts ruined.
Remember one thing, though: it is always better
to err on the soft side when heat-treating parts. The
parts worked over by the knife maker were simply
redone with no harmful effect. The bolts done by
the first genius were ruined. At least, the first two
were; I had the rest annealed and redone, which
made them serviceable again. But think what might
have happened if the first two had lasted a little
longer (I usually fired five test rounds through each
gun) and I had shipped these guns to customers.
If made from leaf-spring stock, the trigger,
sear, and bolt stop can be heat-treated with an
oxy-acetylene torch. Each part is fastened to
heavy wire as a means of handling it; heated
individually to a bright cherry red, which
indicates a temperature of 1,450° to 1500°F; and
quenched. When the part is cool, all traces of
the oil are removed, and it is polished bright.
This is done so that the color can be observed
and the part heated until a pale-blue color is
seen. This will draw the temper to a hardness of
near RG50, which will resist wear and is ductile
enough to resist breakage.
If none better is available, low-carbon steel
can be used for these parts and case-hardened
through the use of a compound such as Kasenit.
This is not recommended, however. Think back
on the amount of work that was required to
make these parts. It would be a waste to lose the
parts through carelessness or shortcuts.
 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Finishing
and Coloring

In each of my previous books I have described at least one different method of

bluing, as well as other finishes. There is no need
for a lot of repetition here, except for the fact that I
need some extra words to fatten out this chapter!
Just kidding. The prototype rifle featured in
this book is special and deserves the very best
finish you are capable of. So a few words to help
you achieve this are not out of place.
Every part of this rifle should be finished by
hand. Curved surfaces should be round, true arcs
of circles, with no low places or flat spots. The flat
surfaces likewise should remain flat and straight.
All edges should be sharp and square with no
rounding off of corners. Screw holes should have
flat, square edges with no dishing or low spots
surrounding them.
The barrel should be examined carefully. Sight
down it lengthwise: if it has high and low spots,
they will be readily discernible to the eye. If they
are present, the barrel must be draw-filed.
The correct way to do this is to support the
barrel at each end, holding it between centers in
the lathe, or with one end held in a vise and the
other end blocked. Any way that holds it fairly
solid will work. A fine-cut flat file, commonly
known as a "mill bastard," is grasped by each end
and advanced sideways along the barrel with
steady pressure. This removes steel in fine
ribbons, much like steel wool, and leaves a

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A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
smooth finish. It also leaves the barrel covered
with very small, lengthwise flats, which tempt
one to remove them with buffing wheels. This
would likely return it to the same condition it
was in to start with. Remove these with
abrasive cloth strips, in progressively finer
grades, used in shoe-shine fashion, around the
barrel, until roundness is restored. It is then
polished both lengthwise and crosswise,
finishing with 500-grit paper.
The top surfaces of both the front sight and
quarter rib should be given a non-glare finish of
some sort. The barrel and sides of the sights
should be covered with masking tape before the
exposed surfaces are sand- or bead-blasted.
They can be matted through the use of a Dremel
electric engraving tool. This little rig operates at
7,000 strokes per minute and, with a little
practice, will impart a fine, even, frosted
surface. The top surfaces could be checkered
with a fine metal checkering file, but this is
extremely time-consuming and won't look any
better than the matted surface.
The sides should be polished lengthwise with
abrasive cloth or paper-wrapped around a flat
backing block. They should be draw-filed first if
necessary.
The receiver is also draw-filed if required
and polished in the same fashion as the barrel.
Flat surfaces and edges, such as those
surrounding the ejection port, must remain
sharp and flat, and the front and rear ends of the
receiver should remain flat and square. All sharp
corners should remain that way.
The bolt is finished using the same methods.
The stub where the handle joins the bolt should
have square edges and corners, which blend
into the round shaft and knob. The little
concave flat on the outer side should also have
square, sharp edges.
Such small parts as the trigger, safety, bolt
sleeve, cocking piece, and bolt stop can be
finished flat and square by placing fine "wet or
dry" abrasive paper on a thick piece of glass and
rubbing it back and forth (in the same direction)
until the desired degree of finish is reached. The
trigger curve and inside of the trigger guard can
144
be rough-polished with an appropriate-sized
drum sander and finished by hand.
The trigger guard and magazine bottom
edge, including the front tang, are hand-polished
lengthwise with the abrasive wrapped around a
flat block to avoid dishing the screw holes. This
is done with the floorplate and floorplate latch
in place, which results in matching flat surfaces
at the hinge. The remainder, or floorplate
proper, should have a rounded, slightly convex
cross section with sharp corners and straight
lines along the edges.
Action screws should fill the screw holes,
flush with the surface of the tangs, with thin,
narrow screwdriver slots, which are likewise
straight and sharp. The screw heads should be
rounded slightly. An otherwise plain surface can
be made more attractive by checkering the
screw heads with a fine metal checkering file.
The only power polishing or use of buffing
wheels that should be permitted here is when
using the white 555 polishing compound. This
should be used first on a hard felt wheel,
followed by the same on a loose muslin wheel. If
all scratches and imperfections have been
removed, this yields a mirror finish you can see
to shave in. If even slight scratches remain,
however, they stand out like a sore thumb after
the bluing is completed and will ruin an
otherwise near perfect job.
With the super-deluxe metal-finishing job
we have here, only two methods of coloring
them should be considered: the caustic blue
used by most manufacturers and gun shops
today, which would really compliment the
mirror finish we have imparted on the metal;
and a rust blue, which may result in a slightly
duller luster in the final finish because it
sometimes requires etching before the solution
will take. This latter method takes considerably
longer to apply.
As I stated at the beginning of this chapter,
both of these methods have been described in
detail in my previous books, along with formulas
for mixing the solutions.
There was a time when this was practical,
but government agencies have restricted the

sale of various components and caused others to
be diluted to a point where they no longer work
the way they once did. If these components are
even available, the price of most has escalated to
a point where it is no longer practical to mix
Heat Treatment
your own. Ready-mixed salts and solutions that
work well and eliminate the hassle of trying to
make your own are available from several
sources. Buy these and follow the instructions
that accompany them.
145

At last, the goal is reached
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Adjusting and
Test-Firing
—the rifle is finished. One last time, you will
assemble it and finally, for the first time, shoot it.
It is wise to check for proper fit and function
as the rifle is being assembled. Mere bluing or
heat-treating of parts has been known to cause
dimensional changes.
The iron sights should be installed and bore-
sighted. This is done by clamping the barrel and
receiver in the vise and lining the bore up on
some distant object. I have a black cross painted
on a white board that is attached to a board fence
some 50 yards distant for this purpose. I center
the bore on this cross. The sights are adjusted, by
filing or moving, until they too line up centered on
the cross. The same is done when mounting a
scope. This, of course, is not exact, but it should
be close enough to zero the rifle by firing.
The bolt stop, trigger, and sear are put in place
in the receiver. Test the pivot pins for binding in
the holes in the trigger and sear before
installation. Heat treatment sometimes causes
these to grow. If binding is present, which can also
be caused by scale, run a drill or reamer through
the holes to relieve them.
Reassemble the bolt and check the firing pin
protrusion. It must be between .055 and .060
inch. Adjust this, if necessary, before proceeding.
With the bolt in place in the rifle, pull it
smartly to the rear. If the bolt stop doesn't stop it
and allows it to be pulled out of the receiver, a
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A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
stronger spring is needed or the bolt should be
given a slight hook where it contacts the bolt. If
any negative rake is present, it may cam its way
open when pulled against, thus releasing the bolt.
With the safety engaged, pull the trigger. If
you hear a slight click and the firing pin snaps
forward when the safety is released, something
must be done. A small amount of metal must be
removed from either the sear face or the front
lower edge of the cocking piece. This will cause
the safety to hold the cocking piece back
slightly, with no pressure on the sear, and let the
trigger snap back into engagement with the sear.
This is what holds the firing pin in the cocked
position. Be sure to check this carefully. If such
a condition is present, the rifle may fire when
the safety is released.
Check the trigger pull. It may very well have
changed since its last installation. Readjust if
needed.
With the extractor and ejector in place, the
rifle is checked for feeding and ejection. If
dummy rounds are available, they should be
used for this. Otherwise, the firing pin assembly
should be removed while working several
rounds. This is done both with single rounds and
from a full magazine. No accidental discharge is
possible when done this way.
I make no recommendations about the
method of test-firing this rifle. If the specified
material was used, the heat treatment was
competently done, and the firing pin protrusion
is within limits, the rifle should be safe enough. I
simply held the ones I built out in one hand and
fired them, as with all the other firearms I have
built. But I have confidence in my materials and
workmanship.
If you have doubts—probably even if you
don't—you should remove the stock to prevent
marring it, tie the barreled action down, and fire
it from a distance using heavy string to pull the
trigger. Use your own judgment here and don't
take anything I say as a recommendation.
148
Make certain that there is no live round left
in the chamber. Not long ago I test-fired the .308
sniper rifle pictured near the front of this book
quite by accident. I had just assembled the
receiver to the barrel, which was held between
blocks in my vise. I had not yet installed the
extractor in the bolt. Although I had cut the
chamber to a minimum length using a
headspace gauge, I decided to see if the bolt
could be felt closing on a cartridge. For some
reason, I became distracted and didn't remove
the live round used for the trial from the
chamber. Some time later I installed the
extractor and firing mechanism in the bolt and
slipped it in place. Then, like the damn fool that
I am, I pulled the trigger. Since I was standing
almost over the muzzle brake and was not
wearing ear protection, it sounded like a stick of
dynamite . . . make that two sticks of dynamite.
Not only did the rifle fire, the bullet took one
corner off my milling machine vise. Then parts
of the bullet went through a nearly new bench
grinder, wrecking it, and some sort of shrapnel
from it went through my drill press motor.
However, the rifle suffered no ill effects from the
"test-firing."
The above should demonstrate that you
should not take advice from me regarding gun
safety.
After test-firing the rifle the headspace
should be checked, and the bolt and receiver
should be inspected for cracks or deformation. If
everything checks out, fire several more rounds
and check it again. If everything is as before,
you now have a rifle you can be proud of. After
all, you built it completely from raw materials.
Very few rifle builders can truthfully say that.
Remember one thing above all else: as I have
made clear in previous volumes, neither the
publisher nor I can accept any responsibility
whatsoever for any problems experienced with
your rifle since we have no control over the
materials or the workmanship.
 MANY PEOPLE TODAY call themselves gunmakers, but
very few have actually made a gun. Most buy parts
wherever available and simply assemble them. During the
past 50 years Bill Holmes has built from scratch countless
rifles, shotguns, and pistols of amazing artistry, ranging in
caliber from .17 to .50 and just about everything in
between. In the process he mastered the art of custom-
making all the component parts himself and earned the
right to call himself a gunmaker.

The bad news is that

Bill Holmes no
longer makes
firearms, so you can't
have him turn out
one of his precision-
crafted specimens for
you. The good news
is that you can learn to make your own from this esteemed gunmaker.

This book shows you how to make (or modify) a custom bolt-action
rifle in a small shop, using single-point tools. By following the simple
instructions and mechanic's drawings, you will discover how to select
the design, materials, and tools; manufacture the bolt, trigger, safety,
and sights; fit, chamber, shape, and finish the barrel; ensure that your
heat-treating is done properly; design, checker, and finish the stock; and
everything else you need to know to be able to call yourself a gunmaker.

A PALADIN PRESS BOOK

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